


deal

by Tomohisa



Series: angels, demons and broken things [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angels, Demon!Kageyama, Demons, Fallen Angels, Gen, M/M, Wingfic, Wings, and lots of others - Freeform, angel!oikawa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2016-09-19
Packaged: 2018-05-02 10:37:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 58,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5245175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tomohisa/pseuds/Tomohisa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You're trying to summon a demon? You're doing it wrong."</p><p>"And how would you know?"</p><p>"I think I'd know."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Imagine Person A of your OTP making a deal with the devil. Person B is the devil. OT3 Bonus: Person C is the angel that tries to talk person A out of it."

Breathing out deeply, he closed his eyes and let the chalk fall from his loose fingers. The circle was complete.

Shouyou opened his eyes and wiped straying strands of red hair back from his sweaty forehead. He stood calmly - unusual for him - but his eyes darted back and forth over the precise shapes and symbols he had drawn on the floor. Everything was ready.

He pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from his trouser pocket and straightened it out with shaking fingers. He was seconds away from chanting out the complex Latin phrases he had found and written down,  _carefully_ , when a serious-sounding voice interrupted him.

"You're doing it wrong."

Shouyou jumped to face his attacker with his arms raised defensively. "Who the hell are you?!" He crouched slightly and raised his hands even higher, ready to leap into action with some of the karate moves he'd seen on TV.

The boy standing in front of him had dark hair and an even darker expression. Even without the scowl currently on his face, Shouyou imagined the boy's resting expression would still be… intense. He stood with his arms lightly hung at either side, his clothing all black and inconspicuous.

"You're trying to summon a demon?" The boy eyed Shouyou critically. "You're doing it wrong."

The tension never left Shouyou. "And how would you know?" He noted the other boy had avoided his question.

Shifting slightly from the shadows of Shouyou's attic, the dark-haired boy walked a couple of steps closer to Shouyou. "I think I'd know."

Now, a lot of Shouyou's classmates would be happy to tell you how often he fell asleep in classes, but even _he_ wasn't dense enough to not notice the black wings poking out from behind the other boy's back.

"Wings…" he breathed out. Eyes sparkling, he met the other boy's gaze - whose stare had never left Shouyou's face.

Slowly, he let his arms fall and stood straighter. "You don't really look like a demon..." Shouyou trailed off uncertainly, cocking his head to the side.

The black-haired boy's feathers bristled visibly. "Yeah, well you don't look like the sort of kid who should be making deals with demons." He purposely let his eyes trail over Shouyou's bright hair and dishevelled school uniform. "And yet, here we are." His eyes wandered around the attic critically.

Shouyou's fists tightened at his sides as he flushed. "Wha- what the hell is that supposed to mean?!" When no answer was forthcoming, he puffed himself up and imagined he looked braver than he felt. "Yeah, well - you look about fifteen!" His arm gestured flailingly in the demon's general direction.

The boy snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, meeting Shouyou's eyes. Shouyou noted the height difference between them. "Even if that were the case - which it's not, dumbass - that would at least make me three years older than you."

Shouyou choked on his words before stuttering out, "I'm fifteen!"

The demon frowned, contemplating. "Are you sure?" He sounded so genuinely confused that the red-head almost choked again.

Shouyou was three seconds away from losing it - demon or not - when there was a blinding flash of white and another, timbrous voice interrupted.

"Now, now, Tobio-chan. That's not a very nice thing to say to a potential contractee."

'Tobio-chan' whipped around to face the newcomer as his wings hunched defensively over his shoulders. "Oikawa." Shouyou couldn't see the demon's face, but his voiced was laced with displeasure. "What are you doing here?"

The newcomer could not have looked more different to Shouyou's first visitor. Bright and smiling, he was the picture of grace and ease. Even his hair was light and softly fluttered with a non-existent breeze.

"Nice to see you too, Tobio-chan." Oikawa sauntered forwards confidently from the same corner the demon had appeared from, until he was almost within touching distance. "And who might this chibi-san be?"

Oikawa leaned further forward, towering over Shouyou - who immediately ducked behind one of the demon boy's black wings. Oikawa's white feathers did nothing to put him at ease. There was something distinctly other-worldly about him, even more so than the demon. Oikawa's presence felt more bright, more intense. Like he was hurtling head-first into a star. Even his clothes were glowing.

Shouyou cringed. It was too much.

When the demon tilted his head slightly to eye Shouyou over his shoulder, he realised it wasn't from distaste for his movement and that he had yet to introduce himself.

He stepped slightly away from the nearest black wing before bowing deeply. "I'm Shouyou Hinata!" Intimidated or not, his mother had ingrained manners into him that ran even deeper.

When he straightened again Oikawa was wearing a self-assured smile on his face. "'Sunny place' indeed." He casually turned his attention to the demon again, a hand on his hip. "Tobio-chan, are you sure this one was meant for you? He's a little... bright for your usual tastes, no?"

The demon's scowl deepened, but he averted his eyes from Oikawa and remained silent.

"So, chibi-chan," Oikawa began, and Shouyou grimaced uncertainly at the nickname. "What business might you have with the lonely King on this fine evening?"

The demon was blurting out an answer before Shouyou could even open his mouth. "Oikawa, that's none of your business -"

The look Oikawa gave him was as menacing as it was sudden. "Now, now, Tobio. Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm simply here to make sure shorty knows exactly what he's getting himself into." His tone was light, but his expression was full of implications, and the demon stiffened again accordingly. Oikawa moved his unsettling gaze onto Shouyou.

"It's important that you realise your actions will have consequences." The bright aura around him contrasted deeply with his expression. "What might seem important today may not seem so tomorrow." He leaned forward again and Shouyou flinched. "Decisions have consequences, and there's no going back from a contract with a demon. Make sure you make a choice you won't regret." His gaze was serious, compelling.

Shouyou's mouth went dry, and he looked away from both of them, his hands clenching tightly at the edges of his shirt. However, he still noticed Oikawa's aura pulse a pale blue from the corner of his eyes.

He heard Oikawa sigh and let his eyes trail back over to see him scratching the back of his head. Oikawa's feathers rippled. "I have to go, Iwa-chan is calling me." His white wings fluttered lightly as he lowered his arm to shrug. "I guess there's not a lot I could say at this point anyway."

He caught Shouyou's eyes and stared unblinkingly. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Shouyou raised an arm to shield his face as Oikawa disappeared in a flash of light.

The demon spoke for the first time since Oikawa's reprimand. "Right," he grunted, "let's get this over with." He turned to tower over Shouyou directly. "What is it that you -"

"What's your name?"

The demon stumbled over his words at the interruption. "Huh?"

"I said, what's your name?" Shouyou cocked his head to the side appraisingly and crossed his arms. "That other guy called you 'Tobio-chan', but I'm beginning to think -"

"Tobio Kageyama," the demon cut him off, flushing slightly.

Shouyou blinked, startled at his abruptness. "Well, that's certainly… appropriate," he muttered.

He looked away from Kageyama and back, both avoiding and meeting his eyes until he blurted out, "Volleyball!"

Kageyama flinched backwards slightly at his outburst, eyeing Shouyou's excited twitching uncertainly. "What?" he grumbled.

Shouyou flushed a dark red and reeled himself back in a little mentally. "I mean… I want to be good at it! Volleyball!"

One of the demon's eyes twitched and his frown deepened. "You summoned a demon," he paused and took a deep breath as though continuing pained him, "to become good at volleyball."

Shouyou wasn't sure if it was possible, but it felt like the red in his cheeks had deepened. "When you say it like that…" He looked down briefly and shuffled his feet. "I know… It sounds foolish, b-but we lost this match, and if I had been better, I would have been able to support everyone better…" He trailed off, uncertain, but when he looked up, Kageyama was still eyeing him intently. Shouyou stood a little straighter under the weight of his gaze.

"I... I want to be the ace of a team! My height, it's holding me back… Because I'm so… small." He grumbled out the last word. "So, make me taller!"

Kageyama reeled back, wings twitching. "You -"

"It doesn't have to be immediate!" He leaned in closer to the demon. "I don't know how these things work, but I know you can't grow overnight. But, I want to be taller! Tall enough to be better at volleyball!"

Unconsciously, he had somehow ended up on his tiptoes an only a few inches away from the demon's face. Kageyama looked torn between wanting to get as far away from Shouyou as possible and not wanting to give up any ground.

As soon as Shouyou realised, he stepped back a little. "S-sorry."

Kageyama muttered something that might have been acceptance.

Shouyou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "So, that's our deal!" He eyed the demon boy, a his voice contrasting jarringly with his reserved body language. He stuck out a nervous hand. "You make me taller, and I'll give you…" Shouyou trailed off, unsure. "…Something?"

Kageyama snorted. "Don't make it a question, dumbass." Then his expression changed.

The red-haired boy felt a chill wash over him as the demon gave him an intense and all-too-obvious once over. He watched intently as the demon's eyes flickered and he pointedly ignored Shouyou's hand before turning away, arms crossed.

Arm falling back to his side, Shouyou was about to open his mouth when the black-haired demon spoke first. "I'll help you play volleyball."

Shouyou found himself grinning, clenched stomach muscles relaxing. His smile dimmed a little. "You- you won't hurt anyone will you? Because I want to be tall but I don't want someone else to have to s-"

Kageyama whirled around, face furious. "Of course not!" he spat out. "I would never -" he cut himself off abruptly.

Puzzled and curious but not wanting to push the issue further, Shouyou let the silence stretch between them.

He was almost startled when a hand suddenly appeared in front of his face. Kageyama's hand was outstretched, pointedly not looking at Shouyou. "Deal?"

For the first time since their meeting, Shouyou noted the demon's calloused palms but surprisingly - _or unsurprisingly?_ \- long, black nails.

He took the hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou wasn't sure that this was how demon contracts were supposed to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People seemed to like the first part, so I thought I'd write more for this fic!
> 
> I have a few other parts in mind, as well as a vague idea of where the story is going, so I'll try my best to remain on a semi-regular posting schedule.
> 
> Comments are always welcome!

Shouyou wasn't sure that this was how demon contracts were supposed to work.

They were both sat in Shouyou's tiny bedroom. Kageyama lounged on his bed, surrounded by Shouyou's collection of volleyball magazines - he'd become strangely enamoured with those almost immediately - leaving Shouyou sat at the edge of the futon, occasionally spitting out the odd black feather. It was becoming an all too common scenario.

It wasn't that he didn't want Kageyama's services, but Shouyou was becoming increasingly worried about the lack of progress with, well, _anything_.

After he'd taken the demon boy's hand, Kageyama had stood awkwardly in his attic, dark feathers ruffling. Then, with a gruff voice, he'd let go of Shouyou and announced that he was leaving. Pouting grumpily, he'd disappeared in a twist of oddly heated air. Shouyou had been baffled until he had been distracted by the realisation that he'd been left alone to clear up the mess of his ritual.

Most of the candles surrounding the summoning circle had been blown out by Kageyama's exit, but the chalk remained and was surprisingly messy to clear up. Along with the small pile of frozen chicken thighs he'd thought would be a good substitute for an animal sacrifice.

Since then, Kageyama had taken to showing up unannounced at the most annoying moments. (One particularly memorable occasion in the bathroom came to Shouyou's mind.) Sometimes he would just follow Shouyou around, offering his - unwanted - opinions on whatever Shouyou happened to be doing at the time. ( _"_ _You actually have muscles. I'm surprised."_ )

Shouyou had realised very quickly that no one else seemed able to see Kageyama, not even his family. ( _"_ _Shouyou, what are you screaming about?"_ ) The demon would loiter in his shadow for hours or even days at a time, and then slink off quietly. To do what, Shouyou had no idea. _Demony business_ , most probably. He never seemed to show up during volleyball practice though, which surprised Shouyou the more the thought about it. Was that not what their contract was centred around?

"Kageyama." He received a rough grunt in reply. "What are we _doing_?"

Shouyou glanced over his shoulder as the taller boy looked up from his magazine. His expression was so comical Shouyou almost smiled. Kageyama had taken to wearing a plain t-shirt and shorts most of the time, much like Shouyou did. If he didn't have those looming black wings, Kageyama would look like a typical teenager. Albeit a grumpy and confused one.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought we were supposed to - I don't know - _do_ something?" Shouyou picked at the hem of his shirt. "I don't even have any proof of our contract, and the book said that was really important!" He glanced up again, but Kageyama only snorted and returned to reading his magazine.

"I already told you, that book is a terrible reference for summoning." He turned a page.

Shouyou crossed his arms, silently seething. The demon never seemed to tire of picking out the faults with his original ritual. The symbols were in the wrong _order_. _That_ symbol didn't even exist. Had Shouyou even _tried_ with his Latin grammar?

A gentle touch to the top of his head startled Shouyou out of his reverie. He looked back at Kageyama, who had laid the tip of one dark wing across his hair. A few black feathers tickled his nose. They felt warm, but he resisted the vague impulse to touch them that washed over him. Past attempts had informed him that Kageyama was weird about Shouyou touching his wings.

"Does it bother you that much?" Kageyama looked almost concerned. Well, as concerned as Kageyama could look, which wasn't very. It was more like a vague crease between his eyebrows.

Shouyou's brow dipped with annoyance. "It would be nice to know that you were serious about your deal."

The wing pulled back from Shouyou's hair. The demon looked both taken aback and offended, as if the comment was a personal affront. Neither boy had broken eye contact, but Shouyou noticed that Kageyama finally set his magazine aside. The demon boy had really long fingers, even without those sharp nails. Shouyou glanced at them. He would have made a good setter.

"I'm always serious." Kageyama's voice was deeper than usual.

"Prove it then."

Kageyama's expression darkened and he muttered something about having to prove himself to a human. He looked almost thoughtful for a moment, touching a hand to his chin as his face softened.

A second later, Shouyou jerked back with a startled gasp as one dark wing snapped open fully. At their full length, Kageyama's wings were large enough to be impractical, stretching almost to the other side of Shouyou's room. Shouyou assumed they would be useful for flying, but he'd never actually seen the demon use them for that. He was left admiring the delicate inner feathers, wondering what it would be like to run a hand over them, when Kageyama yanked out a feather.

Shouyou flinched again at the rough mistreatment of the wing, but the demon boy ignored him. Instead, Shouyou was left watching as Kageyama's eyes narrowed, focusing on the feather in his hand. The one he had chosen - a small, fluffy one - slowly rose from his fingers to float gently above his palm. The entire room pulsed with a heavy sort of energy that made Shouyou's bedside lamp flicker. Then, Kageyama crushed the feather in his fist and a sudden splash of heat drenched the room.

"Here." He held out the same hand to Shouyou.

The red-haired boy was leaning over the covers and reaching out reflexively before he even realised. Kageyama held his wrist with his free hand, black nails lightly pricking Shouyou's skin. He dropped something into his hand.

When Shouyou looked, however, there was nothing there. Retracting his hand - with only a minor protest from Kageyama's grip - he was just about to open his mouth to question the entire situation when his eyes caught sight of something.

"Kageyama…" Shouyou breathed out, giving his hand a much closer inspection. The palm was now imprinted with a delicate impression of the feather, a stark black colour against his pale skin. It began just below his index finger and twisted across so that the other end pointed towards his wrist. At certain angles the wispy edges caught the light and reflected reds and oranges, which confused Shouyou because the mark was definitely _only_ black. It was beautiful.

He looked up, and Kageyama's smug face was almost too much for him. He jump-tackled the dark haired boy so that he fell back onto Shouyou's pillow with a huff. The demon's wings engulfed the small red-head on reflex, and Kageyama reddened slightly.

"Kageyama," Shouyou gripped at the demon's shoulders tightly. How could he possibly express everything he was feeling right now? This was all so surreal. "What did you _do_? I'm not _allowed_ to get a tattoo! My mum is going to _kill_ me!"

The dark-haired demon pulled an arm free and dug his nails into the top of Shouyou's head, using that to force him to a more appropriate distance. "Don't be a dumbass." He sat up at the same time, black wings twitching irritably. The demon ran a hand over one to smooth it. "I'm not an idiot. Normal humans can't see that mark."

Shouyou almost didn't hear that. He rubbed the top of his head, wincing occasionally. "Ehhh? What do you mean?"

Folding his wings so that they settled more appropriately, Kageyama tugged at Shouyou's wrist again. He pulled it closer, and turned the hand so that the palm was facing upwards. "It's an illusion." He spoke slowly, almost as if to a child, and Shouyou found himself bristling. "It's not really there." He paused for a moment and frowned. "Well, it is, but to anyone else," he ran a hand over the mark and it vanished, "it'll just look like normal skin."

Shouyou's momentary build up of anger at Kageyama vanished and was quickly replaced with curiosity. The dark-haired boy waved the same hand back over Shouyou's palm, almost lazily, and the mark reappeared.

"That's amazing, Kageyama!" He turned his hand over and back but found no other oddities. "What else can you do?" He looked up at the demon, eyes full of curiosity.

Kageyama leaned backwards from Shouyou's enthusiasm, flushing a deep red. He shimmered and vanished, reappearing next to Shouyou's desk, arms crossed and standing awkwardly.

Shouyou sat back, nonplussed. "That's not _that_ impressive, Kageyama. You do that sort of thing all the time."

Kageyama rolled his eyes. "I'm still over there, idiot."

"Huh?" Shouyou's yell was muffled by something clamping over his mouth. He grasped frantically at it, feeling something solid beneath his fingertips that he couldn't see.

Kageyama lounged back against his desk. "Illusions like this are child's play for a demon like me. It's all about bending the light the right way. There are some limitations though." He frowned, and shimmered out of existence.

The invisible hand covering Shouyou's mouth pulled away and left him gasping. Kageyama faded back into visibility next to him.

Wiping at his mouth surreptitiously, Shouyou considered at the demon for a few moments. "You know," he began flatly, "that's actually kind of creepy. I hope you don't watch me in the bathroom."

Kageyama flushed an even deeper shade of red and whacked him with a wing. "That was _one_ time! And it was an _accident_!"

"Yeah, well you didn't seem too bothered by it!" Shouyou tried not to grin, happy to be pushing Kageyama's buttons. "And when are you going to make me taller?!"

A pillow to the face knocked him off the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Kageyama wants to impress Hinata but can't handle that level of admiration.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei had always thought that Shouyou Hinata was an annoying idiot, but now he was starting to question the boy's sanity as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a few days late! It's slightly longer to make up for it. As always, feel free to point out any errors!
> 
> (This chapter is light on the fluff and I apologise.)

Kei had always thought that Shouyou Hinata was an annoying idiot, but now he was starting to question the boy's sanity as well.

His classroom had proven boring as always, so Kei had put on his headphones and looked out of the window. Not that he had expected much entertainment there either. Two floors below him, Hinata was outside in one of the more deserted parts of the school courtyard, gesturing wildly at thin air for the third time this week. Leaning on his elbow, Kei tried not to smirk as the other boy jumped a couple of times and tugged at his hair in frustration.

Even if they hadn't both been part of the school's volleyball club, Kei would still have known about Hinata. The red-head was short, loud, excitable and generally everything Kei was not. He was an annoyance.

But this behaviour was unusual, even for Hinata.

Kei glanced towards the front of his desk, head not moving, and watched Yamaguchi's reaction. Today, he had dressed in a black school uniform as well, all the better in case someone saw him. Yamaguchi was prone to accidents like that. He had a hand pressed against the glass, and, despite the dark hair hanging over his face, Yamaguchi's eyes were wide and clear above his freckled cheeks. Kei watched his mouth as he softly breathed out words he couldn't hear.

" _Wings…_ "

Kei pulled his headphones down to his neck. "Yamaguchi," he muttered, soft enough that his remaining classmates couldn't hear, "show me."

Yamaguchi's head had snapped round at his name, and he grinned bashfully. "Sorry, Tsukki, I forgot." He scratched the back of his head, and gave the window a final glance before melting into a familiar, smoky shadow.

Leaning back in his seat, Kei closed his eyes and removed his glasses. He breathed the shadows in deeply, trying not to let the icy feeling that washed over him show on his face. When it had passed, he tried looking out of the window again.

Most things were sharper, especially the few stray green leaves remaining on the trees dotting the courtyard. As per usual, he could see the shadowy areas clearly as well - even the fine detail on the bricks at the other side of the school. The clarity was something that Kei would never tire of. He all but nearly flushed because of Yamaguchi's warmth at the appreciation for his talents.

Thanks to Yamaguchi's eyes, a new figure had appeared in the courtyard. A taller, dark-haired boy was standing next to Hinata, arms crossed and looking decidedly moody. Kei had never seen him before, even though he was also wearing the school's uniform. He had wings. Black wings.

An angel? Kei sat back in his seat, considering.

" _No, Tsukki,_ " Yamaguchi's hesitant voice was small, creeping into the edges of his thoughts. " _That's no angel._ "

* * *

After Kageyama's marking of him, the demon started to spend a lot more time loitering around Shouyou. At first, it was kind of annoying, but the red-head was rapidly becoming used to the looming feeling of warmth that seemed to follow Kageyama everywhere.

It was, however, irritating when the dark-haired boy decided to lean over Shouyou's desk during class tests. It wasn't just that he nearly always gave the wrong answers - Shouyou had realised very quickly that being a demon did not make Kageyama any smarter than he was - but that his wings had a tendency to brush against Shouyou's nose and tickle it. That, and he often ended up breathing down Hinata's neck. The overall effect was very distracting.

Shouyou grit his teeth and rubbed out an answer, furiously ignoring his demonic annoyance, but, after the test, he was having none of it. As soon as the bell rang for break, he was on his feet and heading outside.

Marching to a quieter corner of the school grounds, he held back his frustration until he was sure that he and Kageyama were alone.

"Why do you have to be so annoying!" He was more than slightly satisfied when the demon boy flinched backwards a step. "English isn't my best subject, but you aren't exactly making things any easier for me!"

Kageyama's face twisted, his feathers ruffling. "Maybe if you would just listen to my suggestions -"

Shouyou cut him off. "Your suggestions are stupid! Whenever you try and speak it, you sound weird and none of the things you suggest are ever right!"

The demon huffed and crossed his arms, turning slightly away from Shouyou. His expression was cross but altogether unreadable.

Deflating, Shouyou rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Look, I'm sorry, it's not that you're an annoyance or anything - well, actually, you kind of are sometimes, but that's not the point - I just need you to stop distracting me during class." Kageyama turned to stare back at him impassively. "School is hard enough as it is."

Kageyama didn't offer a reply for several heartbeats, and Shouyou began to feel a little twitchy. He always felt a ripple of unease in his stomach whenever the demon looked at him like that.

"Fine." The black-haired boy uncrossed his arms as his figure shimmered slightly, and didn't offer anything else as he vanished into nothing. His wings were the last thing to disappear, with one dark feather drifting lazily to the ground before combusting all too dramatically into non-existence.

Shouyou sighed with exasperation, but felt relieved. Trudging back to class, he realised that still hadn't had anything to eat and quickly got a drink from the vending machine.

The rest of the day passed by in a bit of a daze. Without the constant distraction of back feathers and a scowling face, Shouyou found himself getting more bored than usual. In his final class, he ended up ignoring his teacher completely in favour of poking at the feather mark on his hand, admiring the way it shimmered and glowed.

Kageyama could be really annoying, but it was kind of strange when he disappeared altogether. He always vanished during volleyball practice, and it _was_ a lot easier to get his work done in class, but Shouyou still kind of missed having him around. He scratched at the mark some more, and it flared up until it was glowing with a steady, orange pulse. Huh? That was new. He poked at it curiously and was suddenly met with the sensation of someone dumping a bucket of cold water over his head.

Fortunately, he'd bitten back his accompanying yelp, but a few of his classmates were now looking at him oddly. He smiled awkwardly at the boy closest to him, who apparently lost interest in whatever Shouyou was doing and returned to facing the board with a dazed expression on his face.

Breathing out, Shouyou risked a glance at his hand again. The feather was now a gentle, shimmering red. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that.

The bell signalling the end of class rang, and the promise of volleyball pushed Shouyou's contemplations out of his head.

* * *

Unlike most of his team members, Shouyou found himself feeling utterly refreshed after practice. He'd kept going for slightly longer than most of the others, practising receives with one of the older members of the team. What he'd _really_ wanted to practise was spiking, but the captain had told him that he _needed_ to improve his receives so that he could support the team better. The extra practice had made him slightly late packing up.

Kageyama _still_ hadn't shown up again yet, but he wasn't too worried. Shouyou expected that he would find the demon at home, probably watching over Natsu as she played jump rope in the garden or something.

He was pulling his shirt over his head when Tsukishima approached him. Shouyou tried not to flinch when he finally noticed the other boy standing right next to him, but it was difficult. Tsukishima was so much taller than he was, and also a bit of an ass. The overall effect was kind of intimidating. Especially when he voluntarily came up to Shouyou after practice - _late_ after practice - the behaviour was so out of character it warranted suspicion.

"Hinata," Tsukishima's voice was low, despite the locker room being empty apart from the two of them. "I heard you have a new friend."

"Eh?" Shouyou felt a chill wash over him at Tsukishima's smile, which was anything but friendly. He paused in putting away the last of his practice clothes, and thought back to earlier. Tsukishima had been staring at Shouyou all throughout practice, and it had made him wary. "What do you mean?" The only new person he'd started talking to recently was Kageyama, and the demon boy wasn't even with him right now. It was odd for Tsukishima to be showing any interest, let alone _asking_ about it.

Just as his face was falling into confusion, something covered Shouyou's eyes. He started noisily, but when he reached up to feel what it was, he realised it was a pair of hands. They pulled away at his touch.

Shouyou glanced behind him, where Kageyama was returning his hands to his pockets, wings shuffling slightly. He hadn't even noticed the black-haired boy appearing. Shouyou wanted to ask where Kageyama had been all day, but the demon was absolutely refusing to meet his eyes, and offered no explanation. There was a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Confused, Shouyou turned back to Tsukishima, and ended up taking a step backwards. There was another, freckled boy standing just behind Tsukishima, who looked just as startled as Hinata that they were making eye contact.

"Uh, Tsukki -"

"Who are you?! You weren't there a second ago!" Shouyou's eye were blown wide as saucers, and he heard Kageyama snort behind him.

"Oh?" Tsukishima sounded amused.  "You can see Yamaguchi now?"

Shouyou caught on quickly enough. "Gwaah! Are you a demon too?" He held up his arms defensively.

"Too? Well, I guess that confirms at least one thing." Tsukishima moved closer so that he was towering over Shouyou. "But the real question is, how did you manage to get yours? I would never have thought that an idiot like you could have managed that sort of ritual." He leered at Shouyou, and he flushed.

"That- that's none of your business, Tsukishima!" Shouyou was starting to feel a little out of his depth. Kageyama hadn't said a word since the blond boy had appeared, and at this point silent support was no better than no support at all.

Fortunately, the freckled boy - demon? - interrupted before things could escalate into an argument. "Tsukki?"

Tsukishima turned to him, frowning, and Yamaguchi put a hand on his shoulder, his mouth a thin line. The blond boy's frown deepened, and then, much to Shouyou's surprise, he barked out a sharp laugh. The other boy sheepishly released his shoulder.

"That's hilarious!" Tsukishima turned back to Shouyou. " _That_ 's who your demon is? Oh, how far the King has fallen!" He tried to focus, presumably, on where Kageyama was standing for his next part. "How it must _pain_ you to have to bend your pride and serve such an i-"

All of the warmth suddenly left the locker room, only to be replaced by an all-consuming heat that left Shouyou stumbling forwards a few steps.

He had been too focused on Tsukishima's rant to pay attention to Kageyama during it, and now he was almost too scared to turn around. Instead, he looked up at Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. Both were standing in shock, and definitely staring at Kageyama now. The blond boy looked like he was considering fear, whereas Yamaguchi's expression was sharpening into something else.

Shouyou forced himself to turn around, only to find that he couldn't look at Kageyama anyway. The demon boy had been replaced by a vague shape that Shouyou couldn't quite comprehend, and was altogether too bright for him to keep his eyes on for longer than a few seconds. Whatever it was, it sent shivers down Shouyou's spine. He covered his eyes with the back of his arm.

"Kageyama!" He shouted, feeling as though something was pushing him back. "Calm down!" The palm of his marked hand itched fiercely and suddenly, and Kageyama dimmed.

The room was silent for a few moments apart from the collective panting of everyone as they tried to recover their previous calmness. It was Tsukishima who spoke first.

"Ah, that's right!" A more reserved expression made its way onto his face. "I forgot that you were a chained beast at the moment." Tsukishima turned and strode calmly towards the door, Yamaguchi following at his heels. "Have fun with your new pet, Hinata!"

As soon as they were out of the room, Shouyou turned back to Kageyama. He took a few, slow steps towards him. "K- Kageyama?"

The demon -  _his_ demon - finally faced him at that, and Shouyou shrunk back from the white-hot rage that was still burning in his eyes. Kageyama's face was wiped clean in almost an instant though, and he was left with an unreadable expression. "I'm... fine." His black wings suddenly became more noticeable, the almost blinding glow surrounding him fading back into non-existence. The dark feathers hunched around his shoulders defensively.

Shouyou stared at him for a few more moments. He wasn't sure what to do in this sort of a situation. Kageyama was obviously very offended by Tsukishima's words - that asshole - but Shouyou couldn't work out why. It wasn't like Shouyou had made him do anything particularly degrading or anything. The black-winged demon mostly did his own thing except for hanging around Shouyou when he was bored. And it wasn't like Tsukishima didn't have his own demon either - something that Shouyou was going to have to take the time to think about later. What made Yamaguchi's situation so different to Kageyama's?

Kageyama suddenly stood up straighter, interrupting Shouyou's rambling thoughts.

"Kageyama..." Shouyou reached out a hand - his marked hand - tentatively. He pulled it back when a sharp spark of pain prickled up his arm.

"We should go." Kageyama's tone left no room for argument.

* * *

Shouyou had never really felt  _awkward_ around Kageyama. Stupid? Yes. Embarassed? Yes. Annoyed? _Yes._ But _awkward_? Nothing like this.

The demon sat on the floor of his bedroom, leaning against Shouyou's futon. He kept massaging one of his wings, a deep frown etched onto his face. Shouyou himself was sat above him, holding a pillow against his chest. It was such an odd parallel to the time he had gotten his mark, that Shouyou found himself scratching at it absently.

"Kageyama." The demon grunted an acknowledgement. "Are you still bothered by what Tsukishima said?" Kageyama's hand froze where it was still stroking over a few feathers. "I don't really understand  _why_ , but you shouldn't -"

"Of course you don't understand why!" He was suddenly facing Shouyou, the air around him as cold and harsh as his voice. "You have no idea what it's like to -" He cut off sharply, biting back his lip and his words. He faced away from Shouyou again.

"You know," Shouyou began cautiously after a few seconds, "Tsukishima makes fun of me a lot." He watched Kageyama's shoulders stiffen, but ignored the reaction and kept talking. "Mostly it's things about my height," he waved a hand dismissively, "but I get that a lot, so it doesn't bother me too much - I'd still like to be taller though, so that's no excuse for you to slack off - but sometimes it still gets to me." He held the pillow away from his chest, settling it on his legs instead. "The point is, I don't let Stingyshima's snide comments get me down, and neither should you."

Kageyama had started glaring at him over his shoulder after the height comment, but his face softened slightly. He looked like he wasn't sure what to say. Eventually, he mumbled something.

Shouyou couldn't make it out. "What?"

"I said, I'm sorry about your hand." A few of his feathers stuck up, awkwardly. "I... I didn't mean to sting you."

Shouyou looked down at his hand, finally noticing the light burn on his palm, wrist and lower arm. Red streaks blossomed out from his feather mark. "Oh."

Kageyama sighed and held out his hand, and Shouyou took it without thinking. The demon frowned at the burn and placed his other hand over the top of Shouyou's lower arm, which glowed with a gentle warmth that took away a pain Shouyou hadn't realised he'd been feeling.

The demon pulled back after only a few seconds, but not before Shouyou was able to grab a black-nailed hand back. "What about you?"

Kageyama glanced down at their linked hands, flushing. "What do you mean?"

"Your wings? Aren't they hurt?" Kageyama looked surprised at that, the bright spots of colour in his cheeks highlighting the expression.

"It's nothing." He pulled back and settled on the floor again. Sure didn't look like nothing to Shouyou, but he decided to let it go. What he really wanted to do was stroke and sooth Kageyama's wings like he had done with Shouyou's hand, but he settled for the red tips of the demon's ears instead.

"People who make fun of your height are idiots." Shouyou blinked a few times with surprise, but Kageyama continued. "I've seen you jump." A single dark blue eye gazed at him over a black wing. It sent a shiver down Shouyou's spine. "You're good."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinata: Kageyama, go away, you're annoying me.  
> Hinata: Wait, Kageyama, come back! I miss you.
> 
> I love writing Tsukki. He always presses everyone's buttons. He was actually a lot harder to write than I thought though - I feel like he acted slightly OOC during parts of this chapter, but then this is an AU and Tsukki has grown up differently to canon.
> 
> The next chapter might be slightly delayed again because I'm not sure what scene should come directly after this chapter. I'm working on a few other things as well whilst I get my inspiration back though, so expect other fics!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you summon him then?" Kei's eye twitched, but the smaller boy didn't seem to notice. "Do you two have a contract? Is that how you knew about Kageyama?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aiming to update this fic on Thursdays or Fridays, but I managed to finish this chapter early, so here you go! 
> 
> More of Tsukki and Yamaguchi's POV this chapter! (Next chapter should be more Hinata-centric though.)
> 
> Thank you to everyone that has commented so far - you guys keep me going. Hope you enjoy this week's chapter!

Kei felt Hinata staring at him long before he actually saw the other boy. Which was surprising, because the small red-head was anything but subtle.

He could understand the other boy's wariness. Kei had pushed too far in their confrontation the other day - he thought he had a good understanding of demons, but clearly there were a lot of things he had yet to grasp. After all, Yamaguchi was his only contracted demon, and he could only provide a limited perspective on others.

Then again, that was slightly unfair. Yamaguchi _had_ warned him, after all, but Kei had gone ahead and pissed off Hinata's black-winged demon anyway.

That was why Yamaguchi wasn't with him today. If there was one thing that Kei was not, it was an idiot. He did not underestimate things he could not begin to understand. The sheer  _pressure_ of that light the other day had proven as much to him.

"Tsukishima."

Kei sighed and adjusted his bag strap before turning around. He tried to hold back the impulse to sneer as he looked down at Hinata, but it was hard. He didn't think he succeeded either, because Hinata took a wary step backwards in his fighting crouch.

"Yes?"

Hinata eyed him silently for a few moments, and then peeked behind him on other side a few times, eyes narrowing. Kei was sure that they were both going to be late for practice. Hopefully Daichi was in a forgiving mood.

"Where's Yamaguchi?" Oh. Maybe Hinata wasn't  _quite_ as stupid as he looked.

Kei snorted. "He doesn't just follow me around all day. That was would be weird." He waved a hand dismissively at Hinata and started walking towards the clubroom again.

Hinata caught up to him quickly. "Did you summon him then?" Kei's eye twitched, but the smaller boy didn't seem to notice. "Do you two have a contract? Is that how you knew about Kageyama?"

 _Kageyama?_ Ah, yes. The name that Hinata had yelled to calm his demon. "Oh? Is that his name?" Kei made sure his voice was as bland as possible. "Must have slipped my mind."

The red-head stopped in place, and Kei didn't have to look back to know that he was seething. He brought a hand up to scratch his cheek and cover his smile.

"Hey, Tsukishima," Hinata's voice didn't sound as annoyed as Kei had hoped. He sounded puzzled. "What's that on the back of your neck?"

The taller blond stumbled mid-step and turned in place, his hand flying up to cover up the skin just above his shirt collar. He hadn't put his headphones around his neck today - with the walk from class to practice being so short - though he shouldn't really have to either. He hadn't thought that anyone could actually - "You can see that?" Kei kept his face carefully blank.

Hinata cocked his head to one side and fidgeted with his bag strap. "Yeah? I mean, it's kind of dark. Almost looks like you've got a -"

"It's my contract mark." Best to shut Hinata up now before he blurted about it to anyone else on the team. "You shouldn't be able to see it." Then again, Kei had never met anyone else with a demon before, so there was a chance that this sort of thing was fairly normal. His parents definitely hadn't noticed it though. Or Akiteru.

"Oh!" For some reason, that information cheered Hinata up immensely. "I have one of those too!" He held out his hand to Tsukishima. "Mine doesn't look anything like that though."

Kei couldn't quite help himself from looking at Hinata's hand curiously. Sure enough, on the palm of his hand there was an odd, shimmery blur that could have been any shade from red to orange to black. Kei's mind couldn't make any sense of the colour at all. It didn't look anything like a contract mark though. From certain angles it didn't look like there was a mark there at all.

He made a noise in the back of his throat noncommittally, and Hinata flushed.

"Hey!" The red-head sounded offended. "It's a lot better than yours!"

Kei rolled his eyes and started walking back towards the clubroom. He didn't look back to check whether Hinata was following him. "It's just a blurry smudge." He would have to read more on marks like that when he got home.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Hinata's voice was complete confusion. "It's clearly a feather!"

Kei shot a disparaging glance at the red-head over his shoulder. "Yeah, of course!" He let his voice ooze sarcasm. "How could I have missed that?"

He ignored Hinata after that, letting the other boy rant on behind him until they reached the clubroom, where one dark look shut the smaller boy up nicely.

They were, as Kei had predicted, a few minutes late for the start of practice. Daichi's reprimanding voice rattled Kei, but not as much as it did Hinata, who looked appropriately chastised. 

If Hinata wasn't kidding about the mark though, Kei was really going to have to borrow Yamaguchi's eyes again.

* * *

Tadashi perched on the roof of the gym. He'd watched the confrontation between Tsukki and Hinata, but he knew that Tsukki was more than capable of dealing with the red-headed boy, so he hadn't been too worried.

Tsukki had given him a task after all. In no uncertain terms, Tadashi was to _watch Hinata's demon_. Tsukki couldn't see Kageyama - _was that his name_? - without Tadashi's help. It made sense for him to be wary. He hadn't needed to ask though - Tadashi would have done it anyway.

The other demon's power had terrified him. He'd never felt such gut-wrenching fear in the presence of another demon before. Tadashi got overpowered  _a lot_ by many of the greater demons, but he'd never met anyone like  _that_ before. Kageyama's show the other day had woken up something primal in him that said he needed to either fight or run, and that if he chose to fight, he would _lose_.

The faint feeling of Tsukki's fear hadn't helped things either. If Hinata hadn't intervened, Tadashi wasn't sure that he would have been able to hold back from attacking the other demon. Even if he knew who he was, it would not have been enough to stop him from trying to defend Tsukki.

Sighing, he stood up and stretched, scratching at the back of his neck. He hoped no one would see him on the roof. Sometimes his powers ebbed at the worst moments. He'd still have plenty of time to get away before they got onto the roof though.

Centring himself, Tadashi breathed out deeply before letting himself be consumed by his sight. It shouldn't take him too long to find Kageyama again. The other demon had proven trickier than most - sometimes he would follow Hinata around like a baby bird, and other times he'd vanish only to show up later on the roof or in the school courtyard. At least once, Tadashi had caught him sitting in the gym hall as well. But - even if he did disappear at odd moments - Tadashi would never forget the appearance of those wings. They were so black it was just  _wrong_.

His eyes darted over a flock of birds several blocks away, then back to the school grounds. He scanned the surrounding area as well, but it wasn't until his eyes stretched further than he expected - to a fenced area bordered by several trees - that he finally found Kageyama's iconic black wings.

" _Shit._ " Tadashi ducked to the ground, because Kageyama wasn't alone.

He crawled closer to the edge of the roof and peeked over the small ridge that bordered the bricks there. Tsukki would tell him that he was being an idiot, that no one could see as far as he could, but Tsukki had never dealt with angels before. The blond boy had  _no idea_ how dangerous they could be. The incident with Kageyama only proved that.

Tadashi's eyes sharpened and he focused on the small figure next to Hinata's demon. The angel next to Kageyama looked bright by comparison, but there was also an aura surrounding him that made Tadashi think he didn't look as vibrant as he should. His wings weren't as white as they could have been either.

Kageyama was leaning against a fence, but the angel was sat on the ground next to him. He was dressed almost casually, in a red hoodie that looked dull next to his pale wings. He poked at the ground with a random branch, not making eye contact with Kageyama. Tadashi was pretty sure they were talking, but he couldn't make out all of the words from this distance. He also wasn't entirely sure which angel Kageyama was talking to. They looked familiar, but Tadashi didn't know any angels with blond hair like that.

He caught a few words though. ' _Alone._ ' ' _Human._ ' ' _Wary._ ' And another one that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Oi," a deep voice jarred him out of his thoughts, "it's rude to nosy into other people's conversations, y'know?"

Tadashi's entire body tensed with fright as he glanced up to see a tall figure standing over him.

The first thing he noticed was a menacing smile framed by a dark head of hair. Then white wings spread out behind the stranger, and Tadashi scrambled to get away.

* * *

When Tsukishima missed an easy block in practice, that was when Shouyou knew something was wrong. He had been keeping an eye on the taller boy ever since he'd pissed off Kageyama, but even the others could see that something was wasn't right with him today. Daichi even approached Tsukishima to ask if something was bothering him, but Tsukishima just brushed him off with a vague response. He kept scratching the back of his neck though, and Shouyou could see how inflamed it was from here.

He kept quiet until the end of practice though, when he managed to catch a hold of Tsukishima on his own by hanging around as he finished changing.

"Tsukishima," Shouyou didn't want to come across as being  _too_ concerned, but he really was worried. "What's wrong with your mark?"

The taller boy eyed him coldly. "Nothing." He pulled out his headphones from his back and put them around his neck, ignoring Shouyou almost entirely as he walked out of the door.

Shouyou bristled. "There must be  _something_ wrong. It looks like it's  _burning_."

"Don't be ridiculous." Tsukishima kept his back to him - thought Shouyou noted he was holding himself more stiffly than usual - the exposed part of his neck now mostly covered by his headphones. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A sudden thump caught both of their attentions, and they turned to find a rumpled figure several metres away trying to pull himself up from the ground.

"Tsukki -" Yamaguchi's voice sounded as broken as he looked, and Shouyou wasn't sure how to react. Tsukishima on the other hand, was already towards him, only stopping as a bright flash of red splashed across Shouyou's vision.

When he could see properly again - after wiping his eyes with the back of his hand several times - he saw a winged figure standing over Yamaguchi. But it wasn't Kageyama.

Kageyama had never fully explained the concept of angels and demons to him, but Shouyou knew that wings meant either one or the other. And this figure resembled Oikawa a lot more than either of the two demons Shouyou knew. There was a faint scent of burning, kind of like the way the air smelled after a lightning strike. Or when Shouyou burnt his toast in the morning. The stranger had incredibly bright, dazzling wings that made it hard for Shouyou to focus on him, even though his hair was as dark as Kageyama's - although it stuck up in odd places.

He also had his foot planted firmly on Yamaguchi's chest.

"Now now," the angel droned, sounding amused, "we were just having a friendly chat. No need to run away." He stretched out his pale wings almost lazily behind himself, flapping them a few times.

Yamaguchi looked terrified. Tsukishima's face was _furious_.

"Oi. Who the fuck are you?" He was practically growling. The blond-haired boy looked about five seconds away from tearing the dark-haired stranger apart, angel or not.

The angel turned to study Tsukishima curiously. "Oho? And who might you be?" One of his dark eyebrows quirked upwards.

Yamaguchi winced as the angel slowly pressed his foot more deeply into his chest, and gasped out, "Tsukki, don't -"

"Tsukki, is it?" The angel cut him off, stepping on Yamaguchi even harder. He looked delighted by the turn of events, and smirked at Tsukishima. "Like the moon, I'm guessing?" He looked like he wanted to approach the blond boy, but was enjoying keeping Yamaguchi underfoot more. His wings retracted slightly. "I used to teach humans about the moon." His eyes flashed, and Tsukishima actually look a step backwards.

Shouyou didn't know what to do. He fidgeted nervously in place, because the angel didn't seem to have noticed him. His entire focus seemed to be on Yamaguchi - who was getting paler by the second - and Tsukishima, who looked _disgusted_.

He felt awful. Sure, he didn't  _like_ Tsukishima, but they were still on the same team, and Yamaguchi hadn't done anything to him. He didn't deserve this.

"H- hey!" Shouyou stepped forwards. "Stop picking on Yamaguchi!" He hoped that his voice didn't waver as much as his stomach did.

The angel broke eye contact with Tsukishima and turned to face him, smile dropping from his face. "Who are you?" His eyes narrowed as he took in Shouyou's red hair and defensive stance. "You can see me?"

His eyes flickered between Shouyou and Tsukishima. "That shouldn't be possible, unless..." His gaze settled on Shouyou, and his face brightened. "Oh! You must be the 'chibi-chan' that Oikawa keeps talking about!"

Yamaguchi flinched visibly at the name, but he winced even more as the angel lifted his foot completely off his chest so that he could move closer to Shouyou. He curled in on himself, and Tsukishima darted to his side.

The angel eyed Shouyou critically, leaning into his space, and he felt himself wilt under his gaze. The smell of burning became a lot stronger, and Shouyou could feel his eyes watering from the overall sense of something otherworldly that the winged stranger gave off.

"He said you had red hair, but he really wasn't exaggerating..." The dark-haired angel tilted his head to one side. He looked fascinated, and began reaching out to Shouyou impulsively as he spoke. "I've never seen hair that colour bef- "

Shouyou flinched backwards, but the angel's hand never reached him. His hand froze in place, arm stretched out. The stranger tried to pull his hand back, but it resisted. He frowned.

"What the fuck are you doing, Kuroo?" Shouyou recognised Kageyama's voice immediately, despite how icy it was. There was a light puff of warm air, and his figure appeared next to Shouyou. He held Kuroo's arm firmly in place by the wrist, black nails lengthening into sharp claws. "You shouldn't touch things that aren't yours."

He released Kuroo's arm and pushed him back, but the angel didn't even stumble. Shouyou shifted in place so that he was closer to Kageyama, and the demon moved one of his wings to accommodate him. The black feathers surrounded him with warmth, and he immediately felt safer.

Shouyou stroked at the outline of his mark absently. "Kageyama," he mumbled lowly. The demon glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, and Shouyou purposely shifted his gaze so that he was staring at Yamaguchi. Tsukishima was crouched over his demon, faint lines of worry above his glasses. They were whispering softly to one another, and Tsukishima had one hand pressed over Yamaguchi's stomach, where Kuroo's foot had been. "Be careful."

He looked back at Kageyama, and found that the demon boy had followed his gaze. Kageyama snorted, but his gaze sharpened and he turned back to Kuroo with a disdainful stare.

"You can go now." His voice was dismissive, his eyes hard. "He's already left."

Kuroo hadn't missed Kageyama's glance towards the other two, and he flexed his pale wings casually. "Never would have thought _you_ 'd be so protective." Kuroo's dark eyes flashed amber for a brief second, and he sighed, stretching his back with his arms on his hips. "Well, you've never been a liar." His head twisted to the side, and Tsukishima stiffened as the angel's gaze ran over Yamaguchi again. "Sorry about that."

Tsukishima's scowl deepened and Kuroo smiled. He disappeared with a flash of red light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realised as I was writing this chapter that Tsukki is a complete ~~dinosaur~~ demonology nerd in this AU.
> 
> Also, I feel like I should point out that there won't be any 'bad' characters in this fic. Grey morality for everyone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Kageyama! You can't keep acting like this!" He felt a familiar heat prickle up his arm. "You keep treating me like I'm an idiot, but you don't explain _anything_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath.

Kageyama turned to Yamaguchi. "Are you OK?" His gaze pointedly avoided Tsukishima, and Shouyou winced internally. Obviously, it was going to take a while for the two to get used to each other.

Yamaguchi looked surprised. He sat up, gingerly. "I'm fine..." His voice was quiet though, and his hair was plastered to his pale face with sweat. The black uniform he had chosen to wear was intact but oddly discoloured in some areas. He breathed heavily as he turned to Tsukishima. "Tsukki, do you mind...?"

Tsukishima didn't even blink. "Go ahead."

The freckled demon smiled faintly and Shouyou gasped with fright as he dissolved into black smoke. The smaller red-head took a wary step back, but Tsukishima seemed relieved. He inhaled the smoke as he stood up, brushing his clothes. When the taller blond looked at them, his eyes were a darker colour behind his glasses.

"You've got some nerve," he spat out, "showing up only when he went to touch  _him_." Tsukishima pointed at Shouyou violently.

Kageyama's expression darkened, and his wing tightened around Shouyou. "You're lucky I showed up at all."

Shouyou's head was pounding. Between Kuroo showing up and Yamaguchi dissolving into thin air - _literally_ \- and Tsukishima being, well,  _Tsukishima_ , everything was really starting to get to him. Wincing, he held a hand up to his forehead, accidentally brushing aside a few stray black feathers at the same time. "Guys, you shouldn't be -"

"I'm going home." The blond boy had forced his expression back to calmness, and trudged over to where he had dropped his bag. He picked it up by the strap, muttering to himself as he wiped the sides of it clean.

Shouyou opened and closed his mouth a few times uselessly before he spoke. "Tsukishima!" The taller boy turned around as Shouyou lowered his hand, and even Kageyama glanced at him curiously. "I don't think -"

Kageyama put a heavy hand on his shoulder to stop him, and shook his head. Shouyou stared at him for several seconds, until Kageyama's eyes narrowed into slits. He closed his mouth, pursing his lips into a faint line as he avoided looking at Tsukishima's face. "...Nevermind."

The taller blond's face still had traces of a frown on it, and they deepened as he looked at the black-haired demon. "Thanks." Shouyou flinched at how twisted the word sounded as it left Tsukishima's mouth. The blond boy turned away almost immediately, hoisting his bag onto his shoulder and walking out across the school courtyard.

Shouyou's brow dipped with confusion, and he jumped so that he was directly in Kageyama's line of vision. "Why did you stop me?" He leaned towards Kageyama, who moved back to give him space. "I really don't think any of us should be on our own right now - what if they get hurt even more?"

Kageyama's eyes narrowed. "Not my problem," he huffed, crossing his arms. "Besides, Kuroo won't come back." Behind his back, his wings flapped irritably.

"How do you _know_ that for sure though?" Shouyou lifted his arms uselessly. "You didn't see the way he looked at Yamaguchi. When Tsukishima and I found them, he had him _pinned_ on the _ground_."

The demon boy waved a clawed hand dismissively. The black from his sharp nails had started to spread up his fingers during the confrontation with Kuroo, and, although it didn't seem to be getting any higher up his hand, it hadn't faded yet either. Shouyou tried to avoid looking at them, mildly disturbed but not wanting to make an issue out of it. "Kuroo has absolutely no interest in Yamaguchi. Trust me. If anything, he'll be more interested in Tsukishima." He fixed Shouyou with a pointed look. "And we are  _not_ getting involved."

Kageyama started walking away as Shouyou spluttered in place. "Kageyama! You can't keep acting like this!" He felt a familiar heat prickle up his arm. "You keep treating me like I'm an idiot, but you don't explain _anything_." The warmth burning in his palm blazed into an outright inferno. Shouyou lifted up the edge of his school blazer, and, sure enough, the mark was pulsing with red and orange. It itched.

He pushed the sleeve down and looked up again as the demon turned around. "How can you expect me to trust you if you don't tell me anything?"

Kageyama's wings drooped, and he glanced to the side, looking fairly guilty. "...Sorry. Sometimes I forget that..." he trailed off.

_Forget what?_ "It's OK, Kageyama." Shouyou's gaze softened. He moved closer so that he could touch one of the demon's arms gently. "Just... tell me what's going on, OK?"

The demon eyed Shouyou's hand like it was on fire, which, Shouyou supposed, it probably was in a way.

Kageyama bit his lip before speaking. He breathed out heavily. "Someone came to see me. About something."

OK, well, that was pretty vague. _It's a start though._ "Someone?"

"A... an acquaintance." Right.

Kageyama's black wings twitched absently, so Shouyou stroked his arm in a way that he hoped was comforting. He couldn't be too sure though, because the demon's face was blank as a stone slate. "What did they want to talk to you about?"

Kageyama sighed, leaning back so that he was out of Shouyou's reach. The red-head accepted that, and let his arm drop to his side. "It wasn't so much a conversation as a warning."

A trickle of fear went down Shouyou's spine. "A warning?"

Kageyama stared at him, eyes hard with concern, and the heat he hadn't even noticed was surrounding him suddenly increased. "Don't worry about it. It was something I already knew." He scratched one of his shoulders and rolled it as he continued. "Kuroo also knows them, so he was here making sure that everything went OK." His eyes flashed dangerously. "Not every angel is fond of associating with demons."

Shouyou knew that Kageyama was purposely leaving out too many details. "And your... friend? Are they an angel?" He was guessing so at this point.

"Yeah." Kageyama frowned, eyes becoming distant. "He's a lot quieter than the others are though. He doesn't like to stand out too much."

"Oh. OK." Shouyou wasn't sure what to say. "But Yamaguchi -" 

Kageyama's eyes suddenly sharpened as he looked at Shouyou. "Was probably doing something he shouldn't have been, and caught Kuroo's attention." His voice was hard. "He doesn't have a problem with demons as such, but he enjoys playing games and can be incredibly protective of those he's fond of."

_Like you_ , Shouyou wanted to say. Kageyama didn't play games, but he was always hovering around Shouyou excessively. The thought warmed his cheeks.

They decided to end the conversation there, mostly because it was getting dark and Shouyou's house was quite a distance away. He collected his bicycle but chose not to ride, instead holding it to one side and walking alongside Kageyama. The silence between them was amicable, but still a little tense.

Shouyou couldn't shake the feeling that things around him were changing far too quickly for his liking. A few weeks ago, he hadn't even thought that demons really existed, let alone  _angels_. And then he'd discovered that someone else in his school - a member of his  _team_ , no less - also had a contracted demon. Yamaguchi was completely different to Kageyama though. He seemed really close to Tsukishima, despite how abrasive the other boy could be. Shouyou was almost envious. Kageyama was a lot harder to get close to.

"Kageyama," Shouyou's breath was a cold puff of air, "can you do that thing Yamaguchi did?"

The demon fixed him with a pointed stare. "What?"

"Y'know, the...  _thing_." Shouyou waved his free hand in a wiggling motion and made appropriate noises.

"Oh, possession?" Kageyama sounded pensive. "Probably. I don't see the point of it though. It's mostly a tactic weaker demons do to make their host stronger, because their powers are limited."

Shouyou hummed thoughtfully to himself. "It would be nice if I could possess you."

The demon tripped over a rock and stared at Shouyou, startled. "What? Why would you want to do that?"

The red-head turned to him, smiling sheepishly. "Well, you're tall. It would be nice to be able to jump and reach over the net more easily. Not that we could actually use it in real matches or anything. It's just something that I'd like to experience. Eventually." He eyed Kageyama as the demon chose that moment to avoid his gaze.

"Plus," he continued, "you have wings." Shouyou's eyes lit up with excitement. "I've always wanted to be able to fly!"

Kageyama's black wings twitched, but Shouyou didn't really notice. "Dumbass. You already have wings."

The demon's tone was laced with affection, and Shouyou turned to him, face getting red. Kageyama seemed to catch on to what he'd just said, and more words tumbled out of his mouth.

"Besides, it doesn't work like that. It's one-way. And you sort of... blend into one person." He frowned as he tried to explain. "It's not that you're not separate personalities any more, but you share everything and experience the same things. It takes a lot of trust." His scowl deepened. "I've seen demons trick their hosts into it before though. For their own reasons."

Shouyou shivered, and not from the cold. _Possession._ It sounded very... intimate. "Oh."

Kageyama's wings ruffled. "I can feel that, you know," he huffed out.

"Eh?" Shouyou turned to him, blushing. He  _really_ didn't want Kageyama to know the route his thoughts had been taking.

"When you shiver." Kageyama fluttered his wings lightly. "It echoes through the mark."

Shouyou froze on the spot. "It... it does?"

Kageyama stopped a few paces ahead of him and turned back, nodding.

"Does... anything else?" Shouyou wasn't sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

The demon looked almost flustered. He scratched the back of his head with a clawed hand. "Well, uh, yeah. I guess." One of his wings twitched oddly.

"You  _guess_?"

Kageyama frowned deeply, but his cheeks were two dark spots of colour on his face. "It wasn't intentional! You wanted a contract mark, and I was trying to give you one! How was I supposed to know that it would turn out like this?"

Shouyou could feel his face getting bright red. His hands fidgeted over the handlebars of his bike. "For a demon King, you're not very good at this sort of thing, are you?"

The demon's face suddenly lost all humour, his wings stilling. "What's that supposed to mean?" His voice was icy, and Shouyou shivered again.

"I was just meaning- Oikawa called you- and Tsukishima too- I thought -" Shouyou stuttered over the words.

"You shouldn't joke about things you don't understand." Kageyama turned away so that he couldn't see his face. His wings were like a dark wall between them.

It felt like something heavy had dropped in Shouyou's stomach. Feeling guilty, he took a few cautious steps forward with his bicycle until he was standing behind Kageyama's back. He knew the demon could sense him, because his wings shivered even before Shouyou pressed his marked hand into the space between Kageyama's two wings.

"I want to understand."

He felt Kageyama's chest heave with a shuddering breath underneath his hand, and warmth bled into his palm. Kageyama's wing muscles trembled, but he made no further move to touch them or move further away, and the quivering subsided.

The demon's voice was a low rumble when he finally spoke. "I'll teach you."

Shouyou blinked, hand still in place. "Huh?"

Kageyama's wings flapped lightly so that the black feathers brushed against the smaller boy's cheeks gently before he pulled away from the touch and turned around to face Shouyou. His hands were tight fists at his sides, but Shouyou absently noted that his claws had receded back into more normal looking hands. The black nails remained though.

"I'll teach you how to summon me."

Shouyou felt his face twist with confusion. "I thought I'd already summoned you?"

"No." A faint crinkle of unease appeared between Kageyama's eyebrows. "I mean, I'll teach you how to call for me. When you need me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really glad that people seem to be enjoying this fic. Sometimes, when I write it, I feel like I'm just mashing together headcanons for this AU, so I'm never sure whether it's turning out OK or not.
> 
> Next week's chapter should go up as normal (yay! holidays and time off!), but the following week I will probably post it a bit later/earlier due to the New Year.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demon narrowed his eyes at Shouyou, staring for a few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "It's not meant to be fun." He edged past the red-head and collapsed in front of him, cross-legged. His black wings folded up neatly behind his back. "It's meant to keep you safe."
> 
> Oh. Shouyou had almost forgotten about that. When he was sat in his bedroom with Kageyama, it became easy to forget that the outside world had so many problems.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I seriously underestimated how much time I'd be spending away from the computer over the holidays... I hope you all had a nice Christmas!

" _Tsukki, you didn't have to do that._ " Yamaguchi's echoing voice sounded troubled, but Kei could feel how pleased he was by his defensiveness of him.

Kei pulled his headphones on and snorted. " _Don't be ridiculous. Someone needs to knock that King off his high horse._ "

" _I don't think Kageyama is_ that _bad._ " Yamaguchi hesitated before he continued. " _I don't think he actually means us any harm. And he did help us out._ "

Kei's face crumpled with distaste. " _Please - he only showed up because Hinata was in danger. He doesn't care about us._ "

" _Hinata does though. And Kageyama cares about whatever Hinata cares about._ " Confidence was radiating off the demon in waves.

The taller blond considered this as he made the final turn towards his house. " _That's an awfully astute observation considering we only met him the other week._ " _  
_

" _It's not like I wasn't familiar with him before. He's rather well known._ " Yamaguchi's laughter echoed in his head, before trailing off. " _I've never seen him so invested in someone else before though._ "

Their conversation broke off there as Kei entered his house, taking off his shoes in the entryway. Calling out a greeting to his mum, he headed to his room before she could question him too much about the day.

" _Sorry about the_ _glasses._ " Kei shrugged off his bag into the corner. " _I don't want my family questioning why I have them off again though_ _. It draws too much attention to my eyes._ "

" _Don't worry about it._ " Yamaguchi's voice was clear as a bell. " _I told you before - they don't make that much of a difference. I can work around them_."

Kei pulled his glasses off briefly and glanced in the mirror. The two of them collectively shivered as two sets of gazes looked back from one set of amber eyes. Uncomfortable, Kei's eyes slid away from the reflection. " _Still._ "He pushed them back on. " _Your eyes work better without them._ "

* * *

"Straighten your back."

"Right."

"Stop fidgeting so much."

"Got it."

"Stop clenching your fists."

"Okay. Is that everything?" Shouyou opened his eyes, more than slightly exasperated with the taller demon. Kageyama, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"No." The tips of black feathers settled on top of his head with a small whuff of air. Shouyou looked up, and realised that the dark-haired demon was standing behind him with a familiar frown on his face. "Close your eyes again."

"But,  _Kageyama_ , we've been doing this for  _ages_." Shouyou allowed himself to fall back onto the floor so that his head landed on Kageyama's feet. "And you  _still_ haven't gotten to any actual supernatural stuff. Just breathing exercises and correct posturing." He rubbed the back of his head over the dark-haired boy's toes and grinned at how flushed his face became.

"Exactly. And you're terrible at them." Kageyama slipped one foot free and placed it over Shouyou's face, pressing lightly. He ignored the smaller red-head's whines of discomfort. "You won't get anywhere with the 'supernatural stuff' until you're better."

Shouyou gripped Kageyama's ankle and pushed his foot away. For a split second he considered tickling the demon, but decided he'd rather not be kicked in the face. Sitting up, he pushed his hair back into its usual mess. "When you first suggested it, I kind of thought it would be more fun." He eyed Kageyama critically. "Guess I was mistaken."

The demon narrowed his eyes at Shouyou, staring for a few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "It's not meant to be fun." He edged past the red-head and collapsed in front of him, cross-legged. His black wings folded up neatly behind his back. "It's meant to keep you safe."

Oh. Shouyou had almost forgotten about that. When he was sat in his bedroom with Kageyama, it became easy to forget that the outside world had so many problems.

"And I swear if you abuse this in any way shape or form I will haunt you for the rest of your short, human life." Kageyama's dark tone should not have made the smaller boy's stomach flutter like that.

Shouyou huffed out a breath in a vain attempt to disguise the warming of his face. Could Kageyama feel that? "Maybe you should start teaching me how to call you properly before you start making threats. You're not a very good teacher."

The demon looked like he wanted to argue, but his face became curiously blank and he stared at the door of Shouyou's bedroom. "Oh, he's at the door."

"Who is?"

Kageyama didn't answer him, instead moving towards the front of the house. Confused, Shouyou got to his feet and followed him to the front door.

The demon's clawed hand twisted the handle open, and Shouyou found himself face to face with a boy not all that much taller than himself. His hair was mostly blond but dark at the roots, like he'd dyed it and then not bothered to maintain the colour. His eyes were sharp but when he met Shouyou's gaze, the other boy seemed uncomfortable, and his eyes drifted to Kageyama's face briefly instead.

"Hello, Tobio." His voice was low and reserved. Shouyou flinched back behind Kageyama slightly, not because of the other boy's use of the demon's first name or odd hair, but because of the wings he hadn't noticed fluttering behind him.

They were white, and so much more so next to Kageyama's black ones.

"Kenma." Kageyama sounded almost fond. "This is Shouyou Hinata." He gestured towards him with both an arm and a wing, completely ignoring how Shouyou shrank in on himself.

Kenma met his eyes, blinking a few times. "Nice to meet you, Shouyou." The angel stepped inside the doorway, and Shouyou noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes. For some reason, the thought made him want to erupt into a fit of giggles. He stifled down the urge.

"Uh, Kageyama..." Was he seriously just going to invite an angel into his house?

Kageyama seemed to understand the source of Shouyou's reluctance. "Kenma is my... acquaintance." He still managed to stumble over the word.

"Oh!" All of Shouyou's previous hesitance fell away. If Kageyama trusted him, then he had no reason to be wary. " _You're_  Kageyama's friend!"

Shouyou could almost feel the demon's face heat up but Kenma didn't seem at all bothered by the presumption. "Yes. Tobio and I have known each other for a long time." He blinked at the taller boy and Kageyama seemed to come back to his senses, turning to Shouyou.

"Kenma is going to help you learn how to Call properly." His eyes flickered between the two smaller boys, wings twitching nervously until Kenma nodded in assent.

The demon moved past Shouyou and back towards the red-head's bedroom, Kenma trailing behind silently. Shouyou followed just as quietly because at this point in his life there was nothing odd about winged strangers barging their way into his day. He felt almost jittery with contained excitement.

When they were back in the room, door closed firmly behind them, Kenma spoke up again. "I hope Kuro didn't cause you too much trouble last time." He settled on the edge of Shouyou's bed. "He's not usually as forceful as that."

Shouyou blinked several times, before remembering that, _yes_ , Kageyama had mentioned that his friend knew Kuroo. "Are you two friends as well?" He found that pretty hard to believe. The small angel sitting on his bed was such a direct contrast to Kuroo's confident presence.

Kageyama seemed content to let the conversation proceed without him, settling on the floor next to Shouyou when the red-head sat down near Kenma's feet.

"Yes, we've known each other almost as long as I've known Tobio." The angel's large eyes became distant.

"How long have y-"

"That's not important." The demon finally stepped in. "What _is_ important is that Kenma is going to help us." He gestured towards Shouyou's hand. "Show him your mark."

Shouyou pouted - Kageyama always held back the juicy details - but he obliged and held his hand out to Kenma, palm up.

The angel leaned down and took his wrist carefully, gently moving his hand to observe the mark from different angles. From the moment they touched skin, a feeling of contentment overtook Shouyou with a wash of calmness. There was a faint scent of something sweet in the air. Or maybe freshness, like he was sitting in a field of flowers. Next to him, Kageyama shivered.

Kenma stared at it for a lot longer than was necessary. Not that Shouyou could talk, because he was prone to admiring it too often himself. "This is -"

"I made it with one of my feathers." Kageyama cut him off, and the angel turned his disarming gaze on him. Shouyou still felt slightly swept away by Kenma's aura, but even he noticed how uncomfortable Kageyama seemed to get under that golden stare.

"I... see." Kenma finally dropped his eyes from Kageyama's face, whose black wings proceeded to shuffle almost irritably. "Well, that won't make things any easier." He traced the feather's outline lightly with a single finger. "It would be better if Shouyou had a focal point as well."

"He does." Kageyama's dark wings snapped open briefly, flapping a few times for further emphasis before nesting against his back again.

"Oh." Kenma released the smaller red-head's hand. "That makes sense."

Shouyou shook his head to rid himself of the last remnants of Kenma's presence, before turning to Kageyama. "I have to focus on your wings?"

"You have to focus on your connection to them," Kenma corrected him. "This still won't be very easy though..."

"Huh?" Shouyou cocked his head to the side. "But Kageyama told me he can tell what I'm feeling all the time."

The demon's voice was loud when he corrected him, face turning a deep shade of red. "Not all the time, dumbass!"

Kenma considered this with a hum. "There's a big difference between inadvertently sharing emotions and deliberately Calling for someone."

Shouyou chewed on his lip as he thought about that. It made sense. "What can I do to help then? Kageyama had me doing breathing exercises, but it didn't help at all. He's a terrible teacher."

The angel ignored how one of Kageyama's black wings chose that moment to flare out and whack the smaller boy on the side of the head. "Being calm does help. The first few times, at least."

Under Kenma's careful instruction, the two boys found themselves sitting face to back, with Shouyou staring at the demon's folded black wings. Kenma had moved him far enough away from Kageyama that even stretching out his arm fully would not allow him to touch the feathers.

"Shouyou, I want you to focus on Tobio's wings." The angel's voice was slow and particular. "Think about what it feels like when he is around, or what it was like when you received your mark."

Frowning, the smaller red head closed his eyes and tried to focus. He knew that Kageyama had felt emotions from him before, but he couldn't emulate the conditions. He'd definitely felt when Shouyou was cold, but that was an involuntary reaction. He didn't have much else to go on.

Shouyou's back muscles twitched as he thought. He knew that Kageyama didn't seem to like his wings being touched, even though he was prone to brushing them against Shouyou's skin far too often. So maybe there was a connection between them there? He wasn't allowed to touch the black wings though, if Kenma's seating arrangement was anything to go by.

He could imagine what they would feel like under his fingertips though. Delicate and sleek, with softer feathers at the sections nearer to Kageyama's chest. They were warm - unnaturally so - and Shouyou's marked hand began to heat up with the memory.

He heard Kageyama shift slightly in front of him, and was reminded of black nails prickling his skin whenever the demon held his hand. How his stormy expression softened when he thought Shouyou wasn't looking. The thought made him blush, and his entire body began to warm. The sensation was odd, like he was sitting directly in front of a roaring fire, or a bright light, even though Shouyou knew this wasn't the case at all. Eyes still closed, he mentally stretched out towards the light, and it flickered with acknowledgement.

Even without opening his eyes, he knew he was getting it. Shouyou did so anyway, and turned to Kenma who was observing both of them with the tiniest hint of approval on his face. The angel nodded, and the red-head focused on Kageyama again. He kept his eyes open, and considered what sort of message he should send.

The demon's head was slightly bowed, and his wings quivered every few seconds. Shouyou had always admired them. Not just as something he himself would like to possess, but as a part of Kageyama. His black wings were beautiful.

He tried to imagine he was telling Kageyama that without words.

The demon shuddered in front of him, wings folding in on themselves to give the illusion that they were a lot smaller than they actually were. Kageyama heaved in a trembling breath, and he gazed over his shoulder at Shouyou with an emotion the red-head couldn't fully understand. His blue eyes were wide, and they looked only seconds away from forming tears.

Guilt gnawing at his stomach, Shouyou mentally and physically pulled back from Kageyama, an apology on the tip of his tongue. The dark-haired demon's warmth never left Shouyou's body though, even when he turned away to rub at his eyes discreetly.

Next to them, Kenma sighed quietly. "You're getting there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The further I get in this fic the more I have to look back at previous chapters and make sure I'm getting stuff right/consistent.
> 
> I did have a lot more Tsukkiyama POV planned for this chapter, but I just couldn't get it to flow nicely. So this chapter focuses on Hinata, and hopefully the next chapter will be on what's going on with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Ah, Kei - there was someone at the door for you!" Akiteru's voice broke into their conversation.
> 
> Tsukki's head snapped towards the entrance to his room once again. The sudden movement and confusion over such a random visitor had both of their minds reeling.
> 
> "Y- you!" Tsukki had to force the word out.
> 
> And this - this was not helping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone!
> 
> I feel like this chapter may be a little messy, but it kind of starts bringing things together for the next part of the story. I still quite like it though.

"Ah, Kei! I didn't know you were home yet!"

Both Tadashi and Tsukki started at the familiar voice, but the taller blond composed himself rapidly and schooled his face into a calm expression. "Nii-chan."

They were fortunate that Tsukki was so used to keeping his face expressionless, because Tadashi was the only one in the room who could feel how uncomfortable he was. He didn't even waver when Akiteru sat down on the edge of his bed, and instead calmly turned his chair to face him.

The day had passed almost in a blur for Tadashi. Tsukki had gotten up early for morning practice and then returned home as quickly as possible, with the demon possessing him the entire time. The tall blond had pointedly ignored Hinata as best he could during practice, but the tiny red-head hadn't even noticed. He also hadn't seen Hinata's demon anywhere - even with Yamaguchi's help - though Tadashi was sure that Kageyama would be lurking somewhere nearby.

Tadashi had noticed the extra pair of shoes in the doorway as soon as Tsukki had gotten home, but the two brothers had successfully managed to avoid crossing paths. It wasn't that Tsukki had a _bad_ relationship with his brother, per se, but things had been difficult between them for as long as Tadashi could remember. He felt a nagging pinch of guilt in their shared stomach at the reminder, which was quickly washed away by Tsukki's blatant discouragement of that train of thought. Wordlessly apologising, Tadashi tried to make himself as small as possible in the back of Tsukki's mind.

The longer they were connected like this, the more smoothly their silent interactions went. Their conversation - if you could call it that - was over so quickly that Akiteru didn't even notice.

"When did you arrive back?" Tsukki's voice was tempered coolness.

Despite the physical similarities between them, smiling came much more naturally to Tsukki's brother. "Just this afternoon." Akiteru grinned. "How was practice?"

A few glimpses of the volleyball practice from earlier flashed through Tsukki's mind, and Tadashi avoided them easily. He felt when Tsukki's mark started burning during the memory of his first missed block, however, and knew that Tsukki had been aware as soon as he was in trouble. An echo of the pain ghosted up the back of Tsukki's spine to his neck before he replied.

"Fine." His tone was flat. "Same as always."

Akiteru didn't seem too put off, no doubt as used to Tsukki's antics as Tadashi was. "Good to hear." He did look a little lost for words though. "I'm actually just about to head out - meet up with everyone, you know?"

Tsukki briefly glanced at his clothes, and they both seemed to realise at the same time that he was dressed rather formally. "Oh."

Akiteru stood up, running a hand through his hair. "I'll catch up with you tomorrow though, OK?" He sounded calm, but Tadashi took in his nervous stance and awkward set of his arms, which meant that Tsukki saw it too.

"Sure. Have fun."

When he reached the door, the older boy paused, his hand on the frame. He glanced back at Tsukki with unsure eyes. "I have some new exorcism movies, if you want to watch them together tomorrow night?"

Tadashi was entirely silent in the blond boy's mind. It was a peace offering, of sorts, and entirely Tsukki's decision to make. He felt as the other boy took a breath before replying. "Sounds good."

The smile returned to Akiteru's face as he left, and Tadashi let relief seep out into Tsukki's mind.

" _He doesn't owe me anything._ " Tsukki's soundless words tasted bitter to the both of them.

" _You can't blame him for thinking that way though._ " Tadashi also felt like he owed both brothers something.

Tsukki was silent for several heartbeats. " _How are you feeling?_ "

Tadashi felt like sighing but allowed the topic change. " _Better._ " He tried not to focus too heavily on his feelings of sluggishness.

" _But not fully healed yet._ " Tsukki's frustration bubbled up in their shared stomach. " _You can't hide things from me when we're linked like this._ "

" _We should probably take a break..._ " The demon let his voice trail off, feeling guilty for using Tsukki's body this way.

" _No, it's fine._ " Tsukki's voice was firm. " _I'm going to head to bed soon anyway. You possessing me whilst I sleep again won't make a difference, but at least you'll heal faster._ "

"Ah, Kei - there was someone at the door for you!" Akiteru's voice broke into their conversation.

Tsukki's head snapped towards the entrance to his room once again. The sudden movement and confusion over such a random visitor had both of their minds reeling.

"Y- you!" Tsukki had to force the word out.

And this - this was not helping.

"Yo, Tsukki!" Kuroo was standing in the doorway to his room, white wings glaringly obvious in their full glory. Other than that, he was dressed almost normally, with casual clothes that any teenager could wear without more than a backwards glance. The juxtaposition of the two had Tsukki's eyes blinking furiously.

Tadashi could feel Tsukki's mask of supposed calmness breaking. The demon couldn't do anything other than wordlessly apologise, because the distinctive trickle of fear that was pooling in their stomach was definitely not just Tsukki's.

Akiteru poked his head over the angel's shoulder, seemingly heedless of the white feathers. "Is this one of your friends, Kei? He was waiting at the front door, so I just let him in."

Tsukki's eyes flashed to Kuroo's face, and Tadashi saw as the angel gazed at him with a smirk and hooded eyes as he processed this new information. Great.

" _What if he hurts Akiteru?_ " Was that Tsukki's thought, or his own? They needed to get him out of here, right _now_.

"Yes. Thank you, nii-chan." The words sounded forced, even to Tadashi. Kuroo's smile widened almost imperceptibly.

Akiteru didn't seem to notice, however, and left them to it. "Catch you later!" He closed the door behind himself as he left this time.

The angel had been silent apart from the initial greeting, but his sharp eyes darted between Akiteru and Tsukki even as the older boy left the room. "Older brother, huh?"

"That's none of your business." Tadashi had never felt Tsukki restrain himself so much before. His hands clenched into fists on top of his thighs as he ground out, "What do you want?"

"Oh." Kuroo stretched and scratched the back of his neck, white wings twitching with the movement. "Kenma had some business to attend to, so I thought I'd drop by and visit my new _favourite_ human." His smile stretched into something more sinister, and a burning smell permeated Tsukki's small room.

Tsukki flinched back in his chair, and, despite his fear, Tadashi began preparing himself to defend his contractee. The back of Tsukki's neck prickled as his mark warmed up. " _Tsukki, I can -_ "

" _No. Absolutely not._ " Tsukki's tone left no room for argument. His mind pointedly drifted to the remaining feelings of unwellness within Tadashi. Unwillingly, the demon let the build up of power go, though his mind remained sharp.

"I take it that 'demon boy' still isn't feeling his best?" Tsukki's eyes focused on Kuroo again as the angel leaned back against the door. "I didn't think that I had roughed him up that much." He sounded genuinely contrite, but neither Tadashi or Tsukki believed it.

"Yamaguchi." Tadashi would have jumped at the sound of his name being spoken out loud if he'd had a physical body, but he wasn't the one being addressed. "His name is Yamaguchi."

Kuroo flashed them both a grin. "Oh, are you sure about that?"

Tadashi tried to muffle his mild feeling of panic. He wasn't entirely sure whether he was successful or if Tsukki just ignored him. The blond boy didn't even bother replying, he just narrowed his eyes.

The dark-haired angel didn't seem particularly bothered. "Well, I guess it's his place to tell you that sort of thing." He shrugged with a leisurely movement of his hands and wings. "Some of the others place too much importance on names anyway."

There was a slight spark of curiosity in Tsukki that had Tadashi cringing, but he outwardly ignored Kuroo and repeatedly himself. "Why are you here?"

The angel breathed out heavily. Both Tsukki and Tadashi braced themselves as he moved closer, but the sharp scent surrounding him receded as he sat opposite them on the edge of Tsukki's bed. "I guess I felt kind of bad." He stared straight through Tsukki at Tadashi, who stiffened. "I didn't mean to hurt you that badly."

Kuroo's eyes flickered between both of Tsukki's behind his glasses, but Tadashi doubted he knew him well enough to notice the colour change in them. Possession was just obvious to those that knew what they were looking for. At least, that's what he was telling himself.

Tsukki actually pulled back from himself slightly, giving free reign to Tadashi for once. Unsure of what Kuroo expected from him, the demon nodded Tsukki's head faintly in his direction.

The angel's smile was back on his face in a flash. "I haven't had much practise in healing for a long time, so I'm afraid I can't help much in that regard. But I asked Bokuto for advice, and he suggested something surprisingly useful for once."

Tadashi could feel Tsukki's lack of curiosity about the other name mentioned, but the blond boy's interest was nonetheless piqued. "And what would that be?"

"I'll let you Call for me whenever you need help." He stood up from the bed, spreading out his gleaming wings as best he could in the confined space. The light emanating from them seemed to increase in brightness, enough that Tadashi had to adjust Tsukki's eyes to counter it. Kuroo brushed his dark hair back from his face. "Probably too grand a gift considering the circumstances, but I've taken a liking to you, Tsukki."

Annoyance washed over the blond boy and Tadashi blurted out, "Don't call him that," before he was able to restrain himself. He clamped a hand over Tsukki's mouth. " _Sorry, Tsukki._ "

Kuroo's laugh was like a bray and didn't match up with his appearance at all, and it made both of them bristle uncertainly. "Kei, then?"

Tsukki's nose crinkled with annoyance. "Tsukishima."

"Tsukishima." Kuroo sounded pleased by the development. "Nice to formally meet you. I am Tetsurou Kuroo. Of course, I go by many other names as well." He winked at Tsukki, and Tadashi couldn't tell which one of them caused Tsukki's body to physically cringe.

Kuroo held out a hand from where he stood, and Tadashi gave the advice he was oh so reluctant to say. " _You should take it. Angels don't lie - he really will help you if you need it._ "

" _Just because he won't lie doesn't mean I want him as an ally._ " Tsukki stared impassively at the angel.

Tadashi shrugged mentally. It was Tsukki's decision, after all, and he was aware that he was not exactly the most reliable demon out there. Having someone like Kuroo on their side would definitely come in handy at some point, especially if Kageyama's presence attracted any more unwanted attention.

Following his thoughts, Tsukki sighed after several long moments before gripping Kuroo's hand firmly.

The demon wasn't sure what he expected, but the pressure that assaulted Tsukki's body was definitely not it. The memory of wings, of flight and light and  _freedom_ , he was prepared for, but it didn't stop his overwhelming sadness from pouring out before the angel released his grip.

Kuroo folded his wings neatly as he placed his hands on his hips, grinning. "I'm sure you are familiar with Calling your little friend there, so simply think of me instead next time and I'll come to assist." He leered over Tsukki. "No matter what the problem may be."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Akiteru is completely into demonic stuff as well - and is probably where Tsukki gets his interest from. I don't know whether I'll ever give the full backstory of how Tsukishima and Yamaguchi made a contract ~~probably will, knowing me~~ , but this chapter definitely touches on that.
> 
> I should probably point out as well that for every demon/angel that's appeared in the fic so far, I have a headcanon for the actual angel/demon that they are based on. Sometimes it's just a name, but for some of them I've taken themes or symbolism from them that I found. I haven't decided whether I'll ever actually name anyone in-text yet, but if I don't I'll list them in the author's notes somewhere (eventually) or you can ask in the comments.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How much do you know about us, Shouyou?"
> 
> "Not a lot," he admitted, "Kageyama only tells me what I need to know." Shouyou frowned. "Or what _he_ thinks I need to know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay! Starting back in the lab eats up a lot of my time during the week.
> 
> I'm still a bit unsure about this chapter, but I'm going to post it because it turned out pretty nice anyway. Hope you guys like it!

Shouyou could feel a tickle in the back of his mind this time when Kageyama left the room. The demon boy didn't say where he was going, but there was a shared look between Kenma and that left Shouyou with the feeling that he was missing something.

He stared at Kageyama's hair as turned to face the window, bundling up all of his mixed emotions into an invisible ball that he aimed at the back of the demon's skull. Kageyama's wings flicked dismissively in Shouyou's direction. He didn't turn around, instead blurring into non-existence and leaving the red-head with a feeling of emptiness he hadn't noticed before.

Before he could even frown, however, a sudden warmth blossomed up his arm and in his stomach. Flushing, Shouyou checked his palm, and, sure enough, the feather mark was steadily glowing a bright orange. He stroked over it lightly with a finger and the feeling receded as the colour bled out until it was a darker blend of black and red.

Satisfied, Shouyou looked up and realised that Kenma had been watching him the entire time. Face darkening, he surreptitiously moved his hand so that it was hidden underneath the other. The faint glowing vanished as it was covered but the warmth remained like a gentle heartbeat in his hand.

Time to change the subject. "Um, do you like video games?"

"Video… games?" The angel sounded unsure, so Shouyou patted the ground next to him in invitation.

Several rounds of multiplayer mode later, it turned out that Kenma did enjoy video games. He was staring at the screen with wide eyes, fingers moving rapidly over the controller buttons. Shouyou eyed him as he cleared another level, and found the small angel's face as enthused as he'd ever seen it the entire afternoon.

Kenma's bare feet and red hoodie engulfing most of his body made him both brighter and less imposing than Kageyama. With his wings folded discreetly against his back, it was almost possible for Shouyou to forget that his guest was an otherworldly being.

"Do you not come to the human world often, Kenma?" Shouyou tried not to sound too curious. He sat back, resting his chin on one knee and letting the angel finish the next level on his own.

"Depends," Kenma's eyes were glued to the screen. "Sometimes I get asked to deliver messages, but that hasn't really happened for a while." He paused the game and looked at Shouyou impassively. "Apart from when I came to speak to Kageyama the other day, I haven't had much of a reason to be here for a few decades now."

"You came to visit Kageyama?" Not that it was Shouyou's first time hearing about the demon's mysterious visitor. He hadn't directly said that it was Kenma, but Shouyou put two and two together straight away. He wanted to hear it from Kenma though.

"Mmm. I was just passing on something I thought he should know."

"A warning." Shouyou's voice was entirely flat, but Kenma answered as though he'd asked a question.

Pausing the game again, the angel carefully sat the controller aside and shifted so that he was giving the red-head his full attention. "How much do you know about us, Shouyou?"

"Not a lot," he admitted, "Kageyama only tells me what I need to know." Shouyou frowned. "Or what _he_ thinks I need to know."

Kenma considered this for a few moments, staring unnervingly at Shouyou's face the entire time. "He's probably just trying to keep you safe." He glanced to the side. "Safe is relative though. The more time you spend with Tobio, the more attention you'll attract."

Shouyou cocked his head to one side. "But why? He doesn't even do anything other than follow me around all day. And he still hasn't made me taller." The last part came out as a mumble.

The angel smiled gently. "Tobio hasn't always been everyone's favourite person. Even with other demons." All remnants of the smile fell off his face. "Especially Tooru - those two have never seen eye to eye."

"Tooru?"

"Nii-chan!" Natsu burst into the room. "Mum wants to know if- who's that?"

Shouyou sighed and covered his eyes with one hand, before remembering that wait- she could see- she shouldn't- "Y-you can see him?" He stuttered out as he lowered his hand. His mark pulsed inquiringly but he ignored it, hoping that his little sister couldn't see that too.

Natsu looked at him like he'd sprouted a second head. "Of course I can, nii-chan!" She darted next to Kenma before Shouyou could stop her. "Do you go to the same school as Shou-chan?"

Kenma leaned back almost imperceptibly, but Natsu's sudden appearance didn't appear to be bothering him as much as Shouyou would have thought. "Um-"

"This is Kenma - we met at the training camp." Shouyou blurted out before things could get any worse.

"Oh, you play volleyball too, Kenma-onii-san?" She shifted excitedly on the spot. "What position do you play?"

Shouyou's mind was working frantically, trying to think of a way to quickly extract Natsu from the room with as little fuss as possible. But Kenma was quicker.

"Setter."

Shouyou couldn't stop himself from gaping as Kenma and his sister settled into a casual conversation about volleyball positions. Where the angel had picked up the terms, he had no clue.

Kenma seemed to become more at ease with Natsu as time went on, and after Shouyou had recovered enough from his initial surprise to go find out what his mum wanted, he returned to find her nestled comfortably against Kenma's chest. He had his chin resting against her red hair and white wings widespread protectively round the two of them as he continued playing the game. Natsu still hadn't made any comment about feathers though, so Shouyou was guessing that she still couldn't see them, at least.

She drifted away like that, snuggled happily with Kenma. Shouyou could relate, because he'd felt how relaxing it was to just have Kenma touch his hand. Being that close probably had a soporific effect.

"I thought normal humans couldn't see angels or demons?" As soon as Shouyou was sure she was asleep, he had to ask.

One of Kenma's wings flapped in a half-shrug, as he carefully made sure not to disturb Natsu. "It kind of depends on the angel or demon. Usually I hide myself, but I forgot to when I was in here…" He didn't sound all that disappointed though. "They can't normally see our wings though. It surprised me that you can." Kenma glanced in the red-head's direction several times.

"Oh." Shouyou had never realised that it was particularly odd.

"It's probably because of Tobio," Kenma continued. "Maybe his mark, or maybe he did something to your eyes."

Shouyou's hand drifted to his face. He could only remember one time that Kageyama had touched him there, and, sure enough, Yamaguchi had become visible soon after. "I think you're right."

Thinking about Kageyama's hands had his mind wandering again. Shouyou lowered his hand and looked at it distractedly. Kageyama's nails really were much more impressive than his own. He turned his hand over and glanced at the mark on his palm. Scratching the tiny feather ignited a small flare of colour that brightened, and he closed his eyes and followed the path is provided to his demon.

They'd practised a few more times after Shouyou's first awkward attempt at Calling Kageyama, and he'd sort of got the hang of it. After a few seconds, Kageyama might as well have been in the room with him, with all the presence he felt surrounding him. He prodded awkwardly at the source, questioning how long the demon had been away for, and received an impatient spark of acknowledgement with a faint feeling of  _I'll be back soon_.

Satisfied, Shouyou opened his eyes. Kenma didn't seem to have noticed their interaction this time, which brought a small smile to his face.

He remembered that Natsu had interrupted them earlier. "Kenma, who's Tooru?"

The angel paused the game to stare at him with cat-like eyes. "Tooru Oikawa, the most powerful angel in heaven." He blinked and took Shouyou's wide-eyed gaze as ignorance. "I'm not surprised you've not heard about him though - Tobio doesn't really like to talk about him. They've always been in competition with one another, but one day it went too far and Tooru pushed Tobio so hard he Fell."

Shouyou knew that he was openly gaping at Kenma now, but his thoughts were going almost too fast for his mind to keep up. An important one came to the surface. "Kageyama used to be an angel?" He couldn't quite keep the tone of surprise from his voice.

Kenma looked at him oddly. "Yeah, he was almost a match for Tooru when they fought."

"Tooru... Oikawa..." The name was familiar on the red-head's tongue, and gasped with sudden realisation. "I've met him!" The same day he'd met Kageyama. "He was... intimidating."

"That's our Oikawa for you." 

Shouyou flinched so badly at the voice he fell backwards. Kuroo loomed over him, grin a permanent feature on his face. "Hey, chibi-chan."

"Shouyou Hinata," Kenma corrected absently. The red-head shot up and glanced at him anxiously, but Natsu was still fast asleep on his chest. He let out a relieved breath.

"You probably shouldn't keep windows open like that, you know." Shouyou's eyes snapped to Kuroo again, but the angel was only scratching his cheek distractedly. "All sorts of trouble might come wandering in."

Shouyou snorted, and Kuroo's intense stare focused on him. He cringed under its weight. "There are a lot worse things that go bump in the night than me, Hinata." The pressure suddenly lifted as Kuroo settled on the floor behind Kenma. "So, what delights are we sharing about Oikawa on this fine evening?"

Kenma stopped playing altogether to frown disapprovingly over his shoulder at Kuroo before addressing Shouyou. "Did you have any other questions?"

Shouyou was still processing everything. He felt stupid for not putting two and two together and realising that Kageyama's wings probably pointed towards an angelic origin. "Were all demons angels in the past?"

"Not _all_ of them." Kenma seemed to mull over the words before speaking them. He stroked Natsu's hair back from her face. "Tobio wasn't the only one who Fell, but..."

"Humans can become demons too." Kuroo continued for him. He sat up straighter, cramped wings fidgeting in place as he settled into a more comfortable position. "And there are a lot more of them. They tend to be a lot more _dangerous_ too." The angel's grin was all teeth.

"To other humans, maybe." A warm blast of hair ruffled Shouyou's hair, and he looked towards the window just as Kageyama faded back into view, dark wings billowing out behind him. The demon really had a thing for dramatic entrances. "They're still weak to me."

Kageyama's dark gaze settled on him, and Shouyou couldn't decide whether the weakness he was suddenly feeling in his knees was because of relief or trepidation. He moved to stand just behind the red-head, and placed a hand on the top of his head. The demon's nails moved through Shouyou's hair in a way that was halfway between a caress and a warning, and a shiver went down his spine and straight to his mark.

"Everything settled with the neighbourhood watch then, I take it?" Kuroo smiled at Kageyama impishly.

The grip on Shouyou's hair tightened, and he winced. The demon released him almost as quickly, and smoothed down the top of Shouyou's red hair in an odd petting motion. "Nothing of issue." Kageyama's voice was surprisingly relaxed.

Shouyou sat, slightly dumbfounded but not wanting to draw attention to Kageyama's actions in case he stopped. The hand running through his hair was pleasantly warm, and Shouyou felt something passing through the contact that thrummed almost in sync with his feather mark. Or maybe his pulse. It was hard to tell. Kageyama's hand was very distracting.

He leaned into the touch slightly, and glanced up at the demon. "Issue?"

The edge of one black wing brushed over his closest cheek. "It's nothing."

Frowning, Shouyou continued staring up at Kageyama until the demon flushed and returned the expression with one of his own. The red-head turned away at that point. He was still being kept out of the loop.

Annoyance radiated off him in waves, and Kageyama obviously felt it because he pulled back from Shouyou's hair with a sigh.

The two angels exchanged a glance. Kuroo shrugged and stood up, shaking out his wings. "We should get going."

Kenma somehow managed to stand up fluidly whilst still holding Natsu safely in his grasp. He gently passed her to a surprised Kageyama, and for a few seconds Shouyou wasn't sure why the angel had made the choice to pass her to a demon rather than her own brother. Then, Natsu sighed softly in her sleep and snuggled closer to Kageyama's chest, and the look that passed over the demon's face was one that Shouyou would treasure forever. Even if he was still annoyed at him.

"See you later, Shouyou." Kenma's voice snapped the red-head back to the present, and he said his goodbyes with promises that Kenma could return any time he wanted to play video games again.

That seemed to put a tiny smile on the angel's face, and he disappeared in the least dramatic manner of the three angels that Shouyou had met. One second Kenma was there, and then he was gone with nothing but a gentle breeze and a slightly floral scent in the air.

Kuroo eyed Natsu's sleeping form before winking at Shouyou and disappearing with a familiar flash of red. Shouyou's eyes were frazzled by its brightness, but Natsu hardly stirred.

When he was able to see clearly again, the red-head faced Kageyama. "Do you want me to take her?" He held out his arms anyway, because the demon had never once gave any indication that he wanted anything to do with the rest of Shouyou's family.

"No." Kageyama's voice was quieter than usual. His gaze was flickered from Shouyou to Natsu's hair and face as she softly breathed in and out. "This is fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't originally going to end this chapter there, but I decided to so that I leave myself enough freedom to tweak the upcoming chapters (which I recently outlined).
> 
> Also, I've been trying to avoid using honorifics for most of this fic, but for some things I just have to or it doesn't fit well.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why are you here?" One of the tall blond's eyebrows twitched behind his glasses. He had his headphones placed over his ears, but lowered them to hear Shouyou's response. "And how did you know where I live?"
> 
> Shouyou took a couple of steps backwards automatically. "Kageyama?" Frustratingly, his voice came out as a squeak.
> 
> "Is that a question or an answer?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being _waaaaay_ longer than I thought it was going to be. (I'm pretty sure it's almost twice as long as some of the others.) It's kind of a slow one, with some random snippets from Hinata and Yamaguchi - a nice break from all of the angels that keep dropping from the sky. Kind of.
> 
> I feel like I had so many comments last week that were along the lines of "maybe I'm reading too much into it". If you think you are - you're probably not. ~~There are some things that no one has picked up on yet though, ohohohoho.~~
> 
> Feel free to come chat with me in the comments! I reply to all of them as best I can.

Shouyou’s bed head was never particularly great, but having a demon constantly loitering around to see his morning face left him feeling a lot more embarrassed than he normally would.

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Shouyou sat up in bed and stretched, lifting up his shirt to scratch it absently. When he blinked away enough of the fuzzy remnants of sleepiness, he remembered to glance towards Kageyama’s favoured spot.

The red-head wasn’t entirely sure what Kageyama did whilst he slept, but most mornings he wake up to find him perched in his desk chair, black wings a hazy shadow around him. Like their first few days together, the demon had stuck with Shouyou’s own style of casual clothing around his house. He would tuck his legs up onto the chair as he read, shorts hiked up to reveal surprisingly - or maybe not so surprisingly - long legs that Shouyou’s morning brain often couldn’t handle.

The first few times it had happened, Shouyou had been too distracted by Kageyama’s black toenails to focus on anything else. They were ever so slightly more pointed than his fingernails, and so unexpected on his pale feet that they drew Shouyou’s eyes there every time.

For once, the demon wasn’t distracted by a book (Shouyou wasn’t really sure where he got those from, because he didn’t own many himself) or volleyball magazine, and instead his eyes were roaming over Shouyou’s face with an intense sort of curiosity. He didn’t even seem bothered by the fact that the red-head was now awake, and his sharp eyes continued flickering between red hair and the hand that had just been scratching at exposed skin. Shouyou told himself it was because that was his marked hand.

“Um,” Shouyou croaked out, his throat a little dry. He coughed to clear it. “I -”

That seemed to startle Kageyama out of whatever reverie he was in, and a blush overtook his face as his wings jerked up from their relaxed position uncontrollably. He sat up straighter, body unfolding from its crouch as his legs touched the ground. “I- I wasn’t  _staring_ , dumbass!” The demon avoided Shouyou’s flushed gaze.

“Uh  _huh_.” There was an awkward pause where neither of them spoke, and for the first time in a while it felt like Shouyou just had another boy his own age visiting. A strange boy with dark wings and an even moodier demeanour, but a boy nonetheless.

A vague itch prickled up Shouyou’s arm with the feather mark, and as he crawled out of bed to fetch his clothes, he was reminded that he still didn’t understand Kageyama all that much. It helped that he was now getting vague impressions of what the demon was thinking, because most of the time there was still a huge barrier of years and wings between them. Most of the time, Kageyama’s mind was a foreign entity, constantly swapping between a strange fascination with Shouyou and general dislike of, well,  _everything_. Although, he did seem a lot more content than when they’d first met.

Some things still caught Shouyou off guard, however, such as Kageyama’s sheer lack of embarrassment with situations that would scar Shouyou for life. (He refused to think about the bathroom incident.) He never seemed particularly bothered by showing off skin, and, as the clothes he wore were usually similar to his own, Shouyou was sure he covered up more for Shouyou’s benefit than anything else. Kenma and Kuroo had worn clothes as well though, so maybe it was just a weird Kageyama Thing.

He certainly didn’t notice how Shouyou’s eyes tracked the stretching of his legs and how his shoulders rolled as his wings shifted position. That is, until the burning itch faded and Shouyou realised that Kageyama was staring at him with a confused crease between his eyebrows. “What?”

“Nothing!” The red-head’s voice came out at a slightly higher pitch than he would have liked, but his voice was steady. He shut off the train of thought that told him Kageyama could probably sense something of what he was feeling. He’d really have to ask Kenma if there was a way to  _definitely_  make sure he wasn’t sharing things the next time he saw him.

Sneaking through to grab something for breakfast was largely uneventful, because his long cycle commute to school and morning volleyball practice meant that Shouyou was normally the first one awake. He tended to prefer the days when his mum was up as well, because then she’d make his favourite breakfast for him. This morning he was in more of a hurry than usual though, so he just grabbed some bread to take with him.

Kageyama spoke as he was tiptoeing through the hallway towards the front door. “Why are you leaving earlier today?”

Shouyou frowned at the demon, unable to answer due to the bread he was holding with his mouth as he pulled on his shoes. He glanced towards the doorway to Natsu’s room nervously, even though he knew she probably couldn’t hear him. Kageyama followed his gaze, and one of his wings twitched. The demon remained silent until they had crept out of the main door.

The air around Kageyama fizzled with heat and Shouyou pretended not to notice as the plain clothes the demon was wearing shifted into the mirror image on his own school uniform. It seemed to be habit for Kageyama at this point.

He was unlocking his bike when he finally answered. “I’m going to visit Tsukishima before practice.”

“What?” Kageyama’s face scrunched up. It was with either confusion or distaste, Shouyou wasn’t really sure “Do you even know where he lives?”

“No.” Shouyou pulled his bike over so he could pat Kageyama on the back between his wings. “But I bet  _you_  do!” He had to stop his fingers from creeping slightly towards either side, because Kageyama would definitely _not_ appreciate his feathers being touched so casually.

The demon’s eyes narrowed, even as his cheeks flushed from the contact. “And you figured this because...?”

“Well, for one thing you’re  _really_  good a stalking people.” Shouyou grinned and ducked as a black wing tried to hit him in the face. He was only partially successful, and spat out a mouthful of feathers before he continued. “And secondly, Kenma said you were really strong, so I bet you know where other demons are. Like Yamaguchi.”

“That doesn’t even make any -”

“Am I wrong?”

“Well- I mean- no, but –” The demon fumbled over his words. “You’re such an idiot.” His wings fluttered and Shouyou was tempted to hold a hand out to calm them, but they stilled almost immediately. “Just head as though you’re going towards the school. I’ll let you know when you need to change direction.”

Kageyama blurred into non-existence with a small whirl of warm air, and Shouyou sighed. He’d never really understood why the demon didn’t just fly behind him as he cycled, but he dismissed it as another one of those Kageyama Things.

* * *

Sure enough, the dark-haired boy was waiting at one of the road turn offs near the school, and they both walked the rest of the way to Tsukishima’s house as Kageyama guided them both.

“Are you sure it’s this one?” Shouyou had to ask. The building they had stopped outside of looked no different to any of the others in the neighbourhood.

Kageyama frowned as though offended, but it was almost a pout. “Of course.” He crossed his arms and leaned his wings against the nearby wall. “I’ll wait here.”

Thankfully, it was Tsukishima that answered the front door, albeit with a disgruntled scowl on his face. At this point, Shouyou wasn’t sure if that was his set facial expression or if he just had it when he was around. The taller boy seemed like he was already dressed and ready for school, so Shouyou thought he’d probably caught him on his way out of the door.

"Why are you here?" One of the tall blond’s eyebrows twitched behind his glasses. He had his headphones placed over his ears, but lowered them to hear Shouyou’s response. "And how did you know where I live?"

Shouyou took a couple of steps backwards automatically. "Kageyama?" Frustratingly, his voice came out as a squeak.

"Is that a question or an answer?" Tsukishima’s face fell into a smile, but it wasn’t a kind one. He shifted his bag and leaned against the doorframe. "Where is the King anyway?"

"Don’t call him that! And he’s..." Shouyou glanced over his shoulder to where he’d left the demon, but Kageyama was nowhere to be seen, "...around."

"I don’t doubt it." Tsukishima’s voice was almost a sigh. He went to lift up his headphones again, turning away from the red-head at the same time.

Shouyou steeled himself for what was definitely going to be a very awkward interaction. "I thought we could walk to school together!"

Tsukishima froze in place, glancing back over his shoulder with a blank look on his face. He turned fully and moved away from the doorway to tower over Shouyou. "And just what would make you think that I would want to do that?"

The red-head shrank away from his cold gaze. "Safety in numbers?" Tsukishima was unlikely to know that Kuroo didn’t pose much of a threat (part of Shouyou was still wary of the tall angel), and there was no way that Shouyou was going to let on that he was worried about him and Yamaguchi.

Surprisingly, Tsukishima’s forehead creased with a frown as he opened his mouth before closing it again. He seemed to carefully think over what he was going to say for several, before settling on a simple, "Right."

It wasn’t until the blond boy had slipped on his shoes and pulled his front door shut that Shouyou thought to ask about his demon. "Where is Yamaguchi? Is he not with you?"

He was almost sure that Tsukishima was going to ignore him, because he started walking away before he answered. "That’s none of your concern." His voice was cold, clipped.

"He’s possessing you again, isn’t he?"

Shouyou had to bite back a laugh at how much Tsukishima jumped because of Kageyama’s sudden appearance. He’d been startled too, but it was becoming such a common occurrence for the red-head that he’d barely flinched.

Tsukishima pushed his glasses back up his nose, and faced the demon with the tiniest of sneers. "King."

For once, Kageyama didn’t appear all that ruffled by the title. "Human." His blue eyes narrowed. "You shouldn’t let him possess you for that long."

The blond barked out a sharp laugh and brushed past him. "My well-being is none of your concern."

"Wait? What’s going on?" Shouyou jumped to follow Tsukishima, presuming that Kageyama would do the same. "Has Yamaguchi been possessing you this  _entire_  time?" His eyes went wide as saucers. Was such a thing even possible?

The taller boy eyed Shouyou sideways from behind his glasses, and the red-head finally noticed that there was something slightly different about his eyes.

"You have a demon and you don’t even know how possession works?" Tsukishima sounded like he knew the answer already. "Pathetic."

Kageyama placed a hand on his shoulder before Shouyou could even begin to bristle. "Don’t try to change the topic." The demon’s hand began to warm even has his black nails dug into Shouyou’s uniform. "What you’re doing is dangerous. Humans aren’t built for long-term possession like that."

Tsukishima wasn’t quite able to suppress a wince. "And you would know, how?"

"Because I know demons." Something flickered in Kageyama’s gaze, and it sharpened. "And I know  _you_."

Both Shouyou and Tsukishima seemed to understand that he wasn’t only talking to the blond boy any more. Tsukishima’s face suddenly slackened as a meek voice left his lips. "I -" Then he was fiercely shaking his head and biting his lip, eyes averted. He marched away, his stride stiff and uncomfortable.

Shouyou was tempted to run after the taller blond, but he was startled backwards by a wall of black feathers suddenly appearing in front of his face. "Wha-?"

He glanced over his shoulder just as Kageyama leaned down to sniff at the red hair just behind his left ear. Flushing, he jerked away, but he could only move so far when the demon’s wings were caging him in so close. "What is it?" Thankfully, he managed to keep his voice steady.

Kageyama had a considerate expression on his face. "You smell funny."

"I do not!" The red-head leaned away from the dark-haired boy, and the demon rolled his eyes before acceding and pulling his dark wings behind him again. Shouyou immediately missed the feeling of warmth. 

"No, I mean you smell  _different_  to how you usually do." His eyes drifted back to the direction of Tsukishima’s house.

Shouyou’s voice came out as flat as he could make it. "And you would know this because you make it a habit to know what I smell like." It wasn’t even a question.

The demon’s head whipped back round to face him, his cheeks darkening tellingly. "I don’t- why would I- of  _course_  not, dumbass!" Kageyama continued to splutter out a mix of embarrassed protests and insults, so Shouyou kept his face as blank as possible as he walked away from him to catch up with Tsukishima.

" _Hey_ , don’t ignore me!"

* * *

Tadashi was a mess of guilt and worry. " _Tsukki, I’m so -_ "

" _Don’t apologise._ " Tsukki brushed him off both mentally and verbally. " _It’s not your fault the King_ _knows how to press your buttons._ "

He hadn’t though, that was the thing. Kageyama had just stated all of Tadashi’s worries from the past few days out loud. Tsukki knew he’d been worrying about how taxing possession could be on a person, even one that was as used to it as Tsukki was. It was more like the blond boy was talking about himself.

Oh.

Tsukki winced as Tadashi’s thought stung him like a tiny nettle. " _His words don’t bother me._ " The lie rang loudly between them.

Tadashi couldn’t quite understand why Kageyama bothered Tsukki so much. The other demon’s demeanour was naturally harsh, but he wasn’t nearly half as bad as some of the others Tadashi had come across. Even his feelings towards Hinata - jealously, wariness, inferiority - Tadashi could somewhat understand. Hinata was an unknown entity that threw Tsukki off his game. But Kageyama - Tsukki had taken almost an instant dislike of him, and he couldn’t understand _why_.

Was it because Tadashi would never be as strong as him? Was he upset because he was contracted to such an inferior demon?

" _No._ " The thought pierced him like a lance. " _You’re the only demon I would ever want a contract with._ " Tadashi would have flushed if he’d had a body, and even Tsukki seemed uncomfortable with what he’d just admitted. He bombarded Tadashi with glimpses of multiple different emotions to distract him.

Kageyama was  _annoying_ , because Hinata was  _annoying_ , and he’d somehow managed to summon a demon with so much more power than anything Tsukki had ever encountered, including that stupid angel Kuroo, who was also  _annoying_.  _Frustration_ , because Hinata’s demon had managed to protect Tadashi when Tsukki couldn’t, and started acting concerned - as though Tsukki and Tadashi couldn’t take care of themselves.  _Guilt_ , because Tadashi had been hurt because of something he’d ordered him to do.  _Worry_  over whether Tadashi felt guilty for possessing Tsukki to speed up his healing.  _Determination_  to continue anyway, because Tsukki knew his own limits.  _Concern_ , because even several days of almost continual possession had done next to nothing for Tadashi’s condition.  _Anger_ , because he’d accepted the words of an angel that had hurt him anyway.

" _Woah, Tsukki, slow down!_ " Tadashi’s head was spinning, so the other boy’s must be as well. " _I can’t process all of that in one go!_ "

Tsukki clamped down on all of his emotions and reeled them in. It was something he had always been able to do with little effort, but today was a lot harder for him. Tadashi wondered when the dam would break, and everything would come pouring out uncontrollably.

* * *

Tsukki insisted that Tadashi continued to possess him throughout the first half of volleyball practice. As a result, his reaction times were a lot better, and blocking the ball seemed to come twice as easily to him. Hinata had been almost fuming, muttering under his breath that it gave the blond boy an unfair advantage whenever the others weren’t nearby. That had made Tsukki grin with satisfaction, even as his muscles started to burn with the toll the extra activity was doing to his body.

Playing volleyball didn’t normally have that much of an effect on Tsukki’s body, which meant that the strain was caused by Tadashi possessing him. " _Tsukki._ " The demon firmed his voice. " _We need to take a break. Now._ "

" _Don’t be ridiculous -_ "

" _If you don’t head somewhere private so I can separate from you, I’ll just leave your body right here._ " Tadashi had reached the limit. It was one thing to possess Tsukki to speed up his healing, but another scenario entirely when his host’s body was beginning to show signs of the strain so rapidly. Tsukki had reached his limit - he just wasn’t willing to admit it.

"Tch." Tsukki spoke out loud and turned to his captain to call a time out for a bathroom break. Daichi looked a little surprised, but let him walk off the court with little fuss.

Hinata, on the other hand, watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, suspicion written all over his face. Behind him, and a lot further back, Tadashi could make out Kageyama sitting on the bench. He was hunched over, elbows leaning on his knees as his chin rested on top of his laced fingers. His face was expressionless, but Tadashi saw his eyebrow twitch as clearly as if he’d been standing right in front of him.

When they got outside, Tsukki walked around to the other side of the building before gently loosening his grip on Tadashi. (Not that the demon really needed his permission to release Tsukki’s body, but the gesture was appreciated.) He seeped out of Tsukki’s mouth and nose, smooth as smoke, before regaining a corporeal form that felt almost clumsy.

Immediately, he felt himself start to go pale and fought back the urge to double over into himself. The demon allowed himself to place a single hand over the remaining wound on his stomach, and Tsukki followed the motion with narrowed eyes.

He blond boy reached a hand out as though he was going to touch Tadashi, but then let it fall back to his side. "Just until practice is over." Tsukki’s mouth was a thin line, and he marched straight back towards the gym as soon as Tadashi nodded with assent.

Sighing, the freckled demon hobbled along in the blond boy’s steps, slipping through the gap in the doors before Tsukki pulled them shut again. He returned to the game as soon as he was facing his team again, and Tadashi was struck with a sudden wondering of when the last time he’d seen Tsukki play was. (Earlier didn’t count, because he’d  _been_  Tsukki.) Probably years. It was odd to consider.

Now that Tsukki was distracted, Tadashi was free to let the full extent of his pain show on his face, and he limped over to where Kageyama was sat, both hands clutched desperately over his side. Why did angels have to be so damn  _bright_?

Why did he have to be so _dark_? Figuratively. Literally, he was more freckled.

Kageyama didn’t offer much of a greeting, even when Tadashi sat down on the bench next to him. He nodded an acknowledgement, but then turned to focus entirely on Hinata, who was darting from one end of the court to the next. Even through his haze of pain, something odd about the red-head caught his eye.

"What’s that on Hinata’s hand?" Whenever the smaller boy’s hand made contact with the ball, something flashed on his palm. The colour seemed to vary, changing shades from red to orange depending on the angle or the strength of the hit.

The dark-haired demon turned his head to face him with a moody expression on his face, but Tadashi chose not to take it personally. He knew from living with Tsukki that a facial expression often didn’t say anything about what was going on behind it. "It’s his mark."

Tadashi blinked. "His _mark_?" He’d never seen anything like it before. Even when he tried to focus on it specifically, he could only tell that it was vaguely feather-ish and appeared to glow somewhat transiently. There were very few things that Tadashi couldn’t see clearly with his eyes, but Hinata’s mark appeared to be one of them. He couldn’t tell if it was his wounds or that thought that made his stomach feel so queasy.

" _My_ mark." Kageyama’s voice was firm, with a tint of... possessiveness? He looked back at Hinata as his black wings shifted almost menacingly, and Tadashi decided not to push it.

"Tsukki has a mark too, y’know. " Kageyama grunted but didn’t give the freckled demon any other indication that he was listening. "It’s on the back of his neck, so I’m not sure if you’ve seen it. It looks like –"

"I’ve seen it." The dark-haired demon’s wings twitched irritably, and Tadashi eyed them uneasily. They reminded him too much of what he’d lost. "It’s nothing special."

Tadashi’s eyes narrowed, even as some of his hair annoyingly fell into his face. Tsukki’s mark was unique to _them_. It was _special_ to _them_. But, he could be the bigger person. Even if he wasn’t the bigger demon. He sighed.

"I... I’m sorry about trying to eavesdrop in on your conversation." Tadashi tucked his hair behind his ear, wincing at the pain the motion brought. Better to clear the air now rather than later.

The other demon made a noise in the back of his throat. "Doesn’t matter."

"And..." Tadashi braced himself. "I’m sorry for telling Tsukki that you get called ‘King’ - I didn’t realise you objected to the title so much."

 _That_  got Kageyama’s attention. He straightened and faced the freckled demon with narrowed eyes for so long that Tadashi could feel his pasty skin begin to sweat even more. When he finally did speak, it was after his gaze had shifted to the hand pressed against Tadashi’s side. "Looks pretty bad."

The freckled boy blinked. That wasn’t where he had seen the conversation going. "It- yeah, um, it is."

Kageyama continued staring at him for several more long seconds. Then he seemed to deflate almost imperceptibly. He leaned back against the wall, following the match with his eyes again. Tadashi did the same - albeit more gingerly - and they were left sitting in a silence that was almost companionable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima is so _salty_ , but justifiably so? He's been through a _lot_. And I _love_ Yamaguchi - I think he could get along with pretty much anyone, even Kageyama.
> 
> Just out of curiosity, is everyone OK with the pace of the story so far? A few people have said that it's good but it's hard for me to tell with my own writing. Sometimes I feel like it's a little slow, but I don't want to rush anything, so I was just wondering what you guys thought.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Let me help.”
> 
> There was a clear sound like tinkling glass just behind him as an arm stretched over his head to reach the drink he’d been grasping towards. He turned to thank his helper and found himself face to face with a gentle smile and a glow he was becoming all too familiar with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for how late this chapter is! Long story short is that I got a surprise assignment the other week and had to get it written before the weekend (because I had plans), so I never had a chance to finish the chapter in time. This week's chapter and/or the following week's may also be delayed for similar reasons. On the plus side, I now have quite a few chapters outlined so I know exactly where this arc of the story is going.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter - I really appreciate it! You guys are all so nice and your comments keep me going.
> 
> This chapter is kind of short, but I wanted to give you guys at least _something_ this week. Anyway, enjoy!

“Are you all right, Yamaguchi? You don’t look so good.” Hinata leaned over the freckled demon. Kei had managed to stop him from heading over to the benches straight after their practice match had finished, but the red-head flailed around Yamaguchi now as though he thought he’d fall apart on the spot.

Yamaguchi smiled at the attention, but Kei could see it cracking at the edges. His face was still a lot paler than Kei was used to seeing, and his dark freckles were a stark contrast against his pasty skin. “I’m fine, Hinata. Thank you for your concern though.” Yamaguchi surreptitiously shifted in his seat so that he was putting less pressure on his injured side, and Kei frowned.

Kageyama seemed to notice the movement as well, the crease between his eyebrows deepening in the corner of Kei’s vision. His black wings shifted as he crossed his arms and gazed down at Hinata and Yamaguchi with a frown on his face. Kei chose to ignore the fact that he was now able to see the moody demon without Yamaguchi’s help. It was obviously a deliberate move on Kageyama’s part, and it was unsettling.

Interestingly enough, the black-winged demon had helped Yamaguchi make his way from the practice hall to their locker room, in as much of a capacity as he was willing to. Kei didn’t think that he had actually touched Yamaguchi or helped him to stand in any way, but he’d chosen to walk to the locker room with Yamaguchi rather than doing his usual disappearing act.

His subtle concern made Kei want to throw up.

Kei pushed his glasses back on and threw his headphones around his neck. “Yamaguchi, let’s go.” He felt his mark prickle uncomfortably as he glanced at his demon expectantly, and Yamaguchi let out a sigh before opening his mouth to speak.

Surprisingly, it was Kageyama that spoke first. “Wait.”

The blond boy turned to stare impassively at the other demon even as Yamaguchi shifted nervously next to him. “What?” He tried not to let the full depth of his irritation creep into his voice. Hinata’s eyes darted between them with mild surprise on his face, but the red-head said nothing.

Kageyama ignored him, turning to the freckled boy instead. “You’re going to possess him again?”

Yamaguchi swallowed thickly. “...Yes?”

The darker-haired demon seemed to contemplate this for several seconds. “Can you not heal yourself?”

Yamaguchi flushed and looked away, and Kei bristled. “Yamaguchi can look after himself just fine. Let’s go.” He turned away from all of them, leaving Yamaguchi to either follow behind him or go ahead with the possession.

He got only a single step towards the door when a sharp pulse of heat washed over Kei’s skin and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He hunched reflexively before berating himself for the motion. Shifting his entire body, he faced Kageyama again and tried not to flinch at the look in the demon’s eyes.

“No.” Kageyama’s voice left no room for argument. His wings arched behind him to emphasise his point. “You’re being an idiot. He needs to rest.” The demon’s wings shifted uncomfortably before he continued. “I’ll... I’ll watch him. I mean. Until school finishes.”

* * *

Shouyou had never seen Kageyama be so forward before. He’d been as surprised as Tsukishima when the demon’s intense anger had come tumbling across to his mark, but Shouyou had almost ended up laughing at the look on the blond boy’s face. Tsukishima had been so shocked that the other demon had volunteered himself in such a way.

Kageyama wasn’t _mean_ though. He was just blunt, and maybe a little inconsiderate. And his resting expression usually made him appear grumpier than he actually was.

Shouyou wondered how many others misunderstood the demon as well.

In a surprising show of inner strength, other than the brief flash of confusion in his eyes, Yamaguchi had taken Kageyama’s behaviour in his stride. He hadn’t allowed Kageyama to assist him in leaving the locker room, and had even brushed off Tsukishima’s misgivings and distrusting glances in Kageyama’s direction with a broad smile that brought a tiny bit of colour back to his face.

The blond boy had seemed taken aback by his behaviour, but then he’d accepted Yamaguchi’s decision with no more that a disconcerted mutter and a scratch to the back of his neck. It made Shouyou consider how much he _actually_ knew about the dynamic of their relationship.

After evening practice, Shouyou found the two demons waiting by his bike. Shouyou had no idea what they had done for the entire day, but Kageyama evidently had things he could entertain himself with for the duration of a full school day, and presumably so did the other demon. Yamaguchi not showing up to wait for Tsukishima meant that the blond boy had had to leave with Shouyou as well, and he’d grumbled about it even after they had met up with the other two.

Shouyou knew that he was imposing his (unwelcome) presence on Tsukishima, but if even Kageyama seemed concerned it probably meant that Shouyou was doing the right thing. He could feel Tsukishima's irritated gaze drilling holes into his back, but Yamaguchi didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, the freckled demon seemed to look a little livelier than he had earlier in the day, but maybe it was only Shouyou’s imagination. In any case, both demons seemed a lot more comfortable around one another, and that was more than Shouyou had hoped for.

“Ahh,” Shouyou sighed, “I’m so thirsty.” He rolled his head back dramatically and nearly walked into one of Kageyama’s wings. The demon pulled away from him, nearly knocking over Yamaguchi in the process.

Kageyama apologised - Yamaguchi waving him off with a weak smile - before he turned to Shouyou with an annoyed expression on his face. “Well, what do you want me to do about it, dumbass?”

Shouyou arranged his face into his most pleading expression, ignoring how Yamaguchi's eyes were flickering between them. “Buy me a drink.”

There was a slight pause where Kageyama seemed to stare at Shouyou's face longer than was necessary before he replied. “...No.” He started walking away again.

“ _Please?_ ” Shouyou tried to throw himself at Kageyama’s back, but the dark-haired boy jerked out of his reach again, wings fluttering irritably. The demon's cheeks were a deep shade of red. Shouyou cocked his head to the side in confusion, even as Yamaguchi started snickering at them behind his hand.

“I don’t even have any money.”

Shouyou turned back to Tsukishima, who was dawdling at the back of their group. The blond boy was shaking his head before Shouyou had even opened his mouth to speak. He glowered at the red-head from behind his glasses.

“Absolutely not.”

* * *

Shouyou entered the next store they passed without his demon, but not after whining to Kageyama how difficult it would be without someone to help him reach the highest shelves. (He wasn't above using his height to try and persuade Kageyama.) Usually, the demon was always willing to help Shouyou - even if Kageyama would grumble the entire time and then vehemently deny it afterwards - so he struggled to understand why he was being so difficult about going into a  _store_. Dismissal had radiated off him in waves, and he'd settled into a withdrawn stance with crossed arms. Even his black wings were hunched over his shoulders protectively, so Shouyou had left him standing outside.

In the end, Tsukishima had entered with him - after a tiny amount of prodding from Yamaguchi - but he had wandered off elsewhere to find something to eat whilst the smaller red-head struggled to reach his drink of choice. ( _"Oh? I didn't think you'd need someone to hold your hand to be able to enter a store."_ ) The blond boy frustrated Shouyou almost as much as the drink that was eluding the tips of his fingers. If Kageyama had just -

“Let me help.”

There was a clear sound like tinkling glass just behind him as an arm stretched over his head to reach the drink he’d been grasping towards. He turned to thank his helper and found himself face to face with a gentle smile and a glow he was becoming all too familiar with. Even so, Shouyou still found his mouth hanging open uselessly.

The angel’s eyes flickered with surprise for a moment before his smile was firmly back in place. “Oh, I forgot that you could see them even when they’re hidden. Kenma mentioned it in passing, but I guess it slipped my mind.” He moved his wings so fluidly, much more so than Kenma or Kuroo, as though he was twice as conscious of them compared to any other part of his body. Even though they didn’t sit quite so brightly against his back as Shouyou’s fading memory of Oikawa’s, his wings framed his entire body like one giant, glowing halo.

Shouyou was so engrossed by how _angelic_ the angel looked that he almost missed the hand offering his drink towards him. He took it with unsteady fingers, and tried to compose his face into something more acceptable. His mind would not stop  _reeling_. Shouyou might have spent almost an entire day with Kenma, but the angel in front of him had a lot more _presence_. Not in the same way as Oikawa or Kuroo - both of whom made Shouyou feel uncomfortable when they smiled - but like he was standing in front of a being that radiated both power _and_  tranquillity.

“I’m Koushi Sugawara.” The angel's smile somehow _brightened_ in intensity, and his wings primly folded in on themselves so that the white feathers were settled a little more neatly. There was a distinctive lull to his voice that left Shouyou with the feeling that he had just been welcomed home. “But please, just call me Suga.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **  
>  **   
>  _SUGAAAAA._   
> 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s taking you so long?” 
> 
> The red-head in question glanced towards Kei, his flapping mouth making him look even more stupid than usual. "He- Suga- _wings_!" Hinata made erratic gesturing movements in other other boy's direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, everyone's reactions to the ending of the previous chapter were _great_. Thank you to everyone who commented! Suga was actually always going to be a part of this fic - there are some characters that I've had in my outline since the very first set of headcanons, and he is one of them. It was always pretty obvious to me which angel he would be as well.
> 
> Also, _deal_ has hit 200+ kudos! Thank you so much to everyone! I hope you continue to enjoy this fic!
> 
> On another note, I've been wondering for a while if anyone would be interested in beta-ing _deal_ for me? Meaning either I would send someone the chapter ahead of time and they could check over it, OR I would explain what I have outlined so far so they could help me with consistency/general ideas? (Discussions would have to be over either Tumblr or Twitter because I don't want to post major spoilers in the comments.) Anyway, let me know if you are interested!

Kei peered around the divide between the two aisles. The tiny red-head had been oddly quiet for more than a few moments, which had piqued his curiosity and triggered a small, miniscule, hint of concern that Kei hadn’t realised he was capable of feeling for someone so annoying. Yamaguchi would be proud of him.

He narrowed his eyes as he took in a slightly taller – but still shorter than him – person handing Hinata a drink from one of the higher shelves. There was nothing particularly suspect about the interaction, but the way Hinata gaped as the other boy smiled sent a shiver of wariness up Kei’s back. He knew two things from playing with Hinata on the court: that the other boy could be surprisingly observant, and that he was highly excitable. Both of which did not apply to anything outside of volleyball, because the red-head was also an idiot.

Kei stepped towards them, his mind telling him that there were two possible options for this scenario. Either the other person was a famous volleyball player that Kei had never seen before – unlikely – or he had something to do with Hinata’s demon problem. “What’s taking you so long?”

The red-head in question glanced towards Kei, his flapping mouth making him look even more stupid than usual. "He- Suga-  _wings_!" Hinata made erratic gesturing movements in other other boy's direction.

Kei shifted his attention, and noticed the other boy smiling warmly at the smaller red-head's antics. Kei frowned, but he didn't sense any ill intentions from the odd, silver-haired individual. He didn't see any wings either - not that he ever did without Yamaguchi's help - so he'd have to take Hinata's word for that. It didn't make him feel any more at ease.

The blond boy gazed down at the stranger with the emptiest look he could muster. "Who are you?"

Kei received at answering smile so bright in return that he almost jerked backwards with surprise. "I'm Koushi Sugawara - Suga, for short." He placed a gentle hand on Kei's shoulder, and the taller boy felt himself overcome with a wash of calmness. "And you must be Tsukishima!" At Kei's startled look, he added, "Kuroo mentions you a lot."

Pulling back from Suga's influence, the blond boy shook off his hand. "You're an angel." He grimaced.

"That's right." Suga's smile widened, and Kei was glad that he couldn't see his wings if the way Hinata winced was any indication of their brightness. The angel's eyes darted between the two of them. "It's nice to meet the two of you properly. I have to admit, I wanted to meet the human that Kageyama developed an interest in."

Hinata's back straightened under the angel's gaze. "Th-thank you!" The red-head bowed deeply,. "I'm Shouyou Hinata!"

"Nice to meet you, Hinata." Suga ruffled his hair in a friendly way that somehow didn't seem out of place, despite this being their first meeting. But Kei still watched the angel warily when he turned back to him.

"I also heard that there was someone that could use some healing?" Suga's tone made it a question, but they both knew exactly who he was talking about. Kei's gaze hardened even as Suga's softened with pity.

"You're a  _healer_?" Hinata's squawking voice interrupted them.

Suga smiled at him affectionately. "Something like that."

Kei still wasn't entirely sure of the silver-haired boy, but the figured that even Hinata wasn't stupid enough to confuse an angel and a demon. He stared at both of them for several seconds before making up his mind. "We should take this discussion somewhere more private." The shop assistant hadn't shown any interest in their small gathering so far, but that didn't mean he wouldn't soon.

* * *

It turned out that Kageyama went way back with their new acquaintance. Not that Kei was particularly surprised. It seemed like everyone knew Hinata's moody demon. Suga had greeted him with warm smiles, seemingly used to the dark-haired boy's behaviour. Kageyama also treated the angel with a degree of respect that Kei hadn't seen him give anyone else - bowing politely and thanking Suga for coming.

Yamaguchi, on the other hand, had looked at Suga with a mix of wonder and astonishment. Some of the colour had returned to his cheeks almost perceptibly after just a few moments in Suga's company. It didn't seem like the two knew each other, but they knew  _of_ one another.

Kei had decided that the safest option would be to bring everyone back to his house. He didn't know much about Hinata's family, but he did know that the red-head had a younger sister than was prone to hanging around Hinata at any given opportunity. At least Akiteru knocked before he entered Kei's room.

He managed to sneak Hinata and Suga into his room with little fuss from his mother (though the other two made appropriate, bowing introductions anyway). At least Kageyama and Yamaguchi hid from her sight, which made things a little easier.

Once they were all settled in his room - everyone sitting on the floor except for himself and Kageyama - Suga held out a hand to Yamaguchi. The angel allowed the freckled boy to give his consent by reciprocating before making any other kind of movement towards the demon. He placed his other hand on top of their interlocked ones. Kei didn't make any move to interfere, because even Kageyama appeared completely at ease with whatever was going on.

Kei watched Yamaguchi's expression carefully as the demon closed his eyes. His breathing slowed noticeably, breath coming out much more easily than it had for the past several days. Slowly, Suga lifted his top hand to place it gently over Yamaguchi's stomach. The air thrummed with an energy that Kei could almost hear, like the ringing of a bell several rooms away.

An incessant itching at the back of Kei's neck - that he hadn't noticed until now - suddenly stopped. Yamaguchi's entire body relaxed, and Kei felt himself let out a breath of relief he hadn't realised he'd been holding in.

From the corner of his eyes, Kei could see Hinata visibly twitching with suppressed questions. A sharp glance from Kageyama had him stilling immediately, however, and Kei knew that something had passed between them.

Suga pulled back from Yamaguchi's stomach, though he kept the link between their hands. "Would you mind getting rid of the shirt, Yamaguchi?" His voice was a low, soothing melody. "I think you're OK now, but I can't be sure unless I see your skin."

Yamaguchi's eyes shot open, and he immediately met Kei's gaze. He seemed a lot more focused than he had earlier, and the intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down the blond boy's spine. Yamaguchi seemed to blush at the same time, looking back at Suga. "I- I guess so."

His shirt smoked away, and Kei found himself staring at the altogether unfamiliar sight of Yamaguchi's bare chest. The freckled boy had been contracted to him for a long time, but he didn't make it a habit to show off much skin in front of his contractee. Kei tried not to stare - he really did - but he hadn't realised just how  _freckled_ Yamaguchi truly was.

Hinata let out a gasp from behind Yamaguchi, and the freckled demon shifted uncomfortably under the attention. "Yamaguchi! Your  _back_ -"

One of Kageyama's wings shot out to smack the back of Hinata's head before he could continue. "Shut  _up_ , dumbass!" His voice was a his of frustration.

Suga ignored them altogether, placing his glowing hand back over Yamaguchi's stomach. "We're almost done, Yamaguchi." He hummed contentedly to himself for a few more seconds before pulling back entirely from the freckled demon. Then, he placed a soft hand on Yamaguchi's shoulder. "Could I take a look at your back as well?"

Kei didn't entirely understand what was happening, but Yamaguchi lost some of the colour in his cheeks again. "I don't think -" He cut off as Suga gave him a small, reassuring smile.

"You never know until you try."

Yamaguchi seemed to struggle with something for a few moments, his eyes flickering between Suga's and Kei's. Then he let out a sigh and nodded, staring at the floor. Suga patted him encouragingly, and made to move round him, but the freckled boy shifted before he could get the chance.

Kei reeled back in shock at the sight of Yamaguchi's mutilated back. He could feel both Kageyama and Hinata staring at his reaction openly, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Yamaguchi's back was covered by a scattering of (somewhat familiar) constellation-like freckles, but that wasn't what had drawn his eyes. On his shoulder blades were several massive scars - ugly, ripped marks that looked like they'd been there a long time. Yamaguchi had never mentioned them before, and Kei felt a shiver of unease pass over his skin, because  _how could he not have known_?

Suga placed both of his palms over the scars, and Yamaguchi's bare skin twitched with the contact. Kei couldn't see his face, but from Kageyama's deep frown, the angel must have been incredibly focused. He almost wished that he could see what Suga's wings were doing, because Hinata's eyes were widening with every second that passed.

"That should do it." The angel leaned back, and Kei wasn't sure what had happened because there was no visible change to the state of Yamaguchi's back.

Yamaguchi obviously didn't understand either, because he looked over his shoulder at Suga with a small crease between his eyebrows. "What did you -"

Kei darted forward to catch Yamaguchi as the demon's eyes rolled back into his head. Suga held him up as well, almost as though he had predicted the reaction. Kei turned the full iciness of his glare on the angel, but Suga was unperturbed.

"He'll be fine - it's an old injury, so this sort of reaction is common." He glanced at Hinata's demon as he passed Yamaguchi fully into Kei's grip, sitting back to give them both space. "Right, Kageyama?"

The blond boy followed his gaze, and noticed that even Hinata had his eyes narrowed at Kageyama curiously. 

The dark-haired boy's eyes darted between all three of them until he settled on Kei. He frowned deeply and crossed his arms, disappearing entirely from Kei's view. 

"Tch." Kei couldn't hold back the sound of annoyance. That had been a cheap trick to avoid answering a question. The most annoying thing was that he'd obviously singled out Kei, because Hinata and Suga were both still staring at the space where he'd disappeared. The tiny red-head's face crumpled with displeasure, but Kei told himself he didn't care about the conversation he was missing anyway.

Yamaguchi shifted in his arms, and Kei's attention was immediately back on his demon. Whilst Suga and Hinata were distracted by answering whatever Kageyama was saying, Kei took the opportunity to hold one of Yamaguchi's hands. " _Are you all right?_ "

The freckled boy seemed a little out of it, but, thankfully, still had the sense to answer Kei without actual speech. He opened his eyes. " _Tsukki?_ " His hand tightened around Kei's grip.

" _Do you remember what happened?_ "

Yamaguchi had to think before speaking, but his thoughts were coherent when he relayed them to Kei. " _Suga healed me. Then he -_ " Yamaguchi shot up in surprise, free hand reaching around to his shoulders desperately " _\- my back -_ "

" _Is still the same._ " Kei finished for him. He didn't want to get Yamaguchi's hopes up.

The demon stared at him, his freckled jaw clenching with tension. " _Tsukki, I -_ "

" _It's OK. You don't have to explain._ " Kei understood. He'd figured out a long time ago that Yamaguchi had once had wings, even if he hadn't known about the state of his back. Everything else fell into place like pieces of a jigsaw.

Something in Yamaguchi's expression broke, and he leaned his head on Kei's shoulder so that the blond boy couldn't see his face. But even Yamaguchi couldn't suppress the warm feeling that blossomed from Kei's mark, and the blond boy lifted his free hand to run his fingers through the freckled boy's dark hair comfortingly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some Hinata-centric chapters coming up a bit later, but I felt like Tsukki's (limited) POV worked best for this part of the story.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They stared at one another, and Shouyou couldn't make sense of whether the anger he was feeling was his own or Kageyama's.
> 
> "Kageyama, Hinata," Suga paused a moment between their names, as though unsure of whether he could speak to Shouyou so familiarly as well. His tone was firm. "Now isn't the time for this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter! Various things happened so I wasn't able to get it written in time.
> 
> I'm thinking of updating the fic slightly less often - maybe every two weeks? Or every week and a half? Mostly because I struggle to get a decent chapter out weekly when I have a lot of lab work to do. We'll see how things go though.
> 
> This chapter starts off with a tiny bit of overlap from the last one, but we'll be continuing with Hinata's POV for a while!

"Right, Kageyama?"

Kageyama's dark eyes flickered between Tsukishima, himself and Suga. He side-eyed Tsukishima the longest before he spoke, but the significance was lost on Shouyou. "I don't think we should be talking about this right now." The demon's voice was harsh, clipped. His black wings fluttered as though he was shaking them clean of something. "In present company." He didn't look at Shouyou at all after he spoke, and the red-head's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

The angel's face fell at the words, his face shifting into a disapproving frown. "Kageyama..."

Shouyou had liked Suga immediately. Not that he hadn't enjoyed spending time with Kenma, but there was a reassuring sort of atmosphere that seemed to follow the silver-haired angel. Even when Tsukishima had approached him in the store, he'd been more than capable of handling his icy attitude, and hadn't dimmed in the slightest.

It was obvious that he and Kageyama were familiar with one another as well. The dark-haired boy hadn't been at all surprised by Suga's appearance. (It had made Shouyou curious of whether Kageyama had asked him to come the same way he had with Kenma.) He had seen the demon give Oikawa a wary kind of respect, but the way Kageyama bowed deeply when Suga first appeared indicated a more heart-felt appreciation of his presence. It was easy for Shouyou to understand why - even next to Kageyama's black wings, Suga seemed to make the demon brighter rather than casting him into shadow.

The angel had responded to Kageyama's greeting with a laugh that rang out like a bell, waving away his formality and patting him heavily on the shoulder. Kageyama's face had crumpled into an almost-pout that had made Shouyou giggle until the demon's sharp gaze had flickered to him. There was something about being next to Suga that made everything feel lighter.

He'd healed Yamaguchi much more quickly than Shouyou had ever thought would be possible. Even Tsukishima had gazed at the angel with vaguely suppressed respect in his eyes. Shouyou had tried to stifle his curiosity as much as possible and keep quiet whilst the angel worked, but the sight of Yamaguchi's back had disturbed him more than he was willing to admit. If Yamaguchi had had wings, someone had _ripped them clean off_ \- but a silent prod of annoyance from Kageyama had quietened him immediately. He understood that the demon probably knew more about these things than he did.

The fact that Shouyou did not feel the same level of trust in return from Kageyama was starting to bother him.

"Do you not trust me?" Shouyou felt a stab of hurt in his stomach, and his mark _burned_.

Kageyama's head snapped round to face the red-head, wincing as though Shouyou had stung him. "It's not a matter of trust, idiot. Of course I _trust_ you." His wings flared up defensively.

Even as the admittance gave him a delighted twist in his stomach, Shouyou didn't feel at all reassured. "Well it sure as hell doesn't _feel_ like it." He couldn't help the bitter twist to his words, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

They stared at one another, and Shouyou couldn't make sense of whether the anger he was feeling was his own or Kageyama's.

"Kageyama, Hinata," Suga paused a moment between their names, as though unsure of whether he could speak to Shouyou so familiarly as well. His tone was firm. "Now isn't the time for this."

Suga was the first one to notice that Yamaguchi had woken up. It wasn't that he gave any sort of indication towards the demon, but something about him shifted its attention towards Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's direction. Shouyou couldn't have pointed out _what_ exactly, because he was still facing Kageyama in the same way that the red-head was.

Feeling guilty that he had almost forgotten about the freckled boy, Hinata gave Kageyama one last look before sighing and pushing away his annoyance for later. Kageyama seemed to do the same, black wings visibly deflating as he pulled back from Shouyou mentally as much as physically. The burning sensation in Shouyou's hand was quenched, though a faint echo of pain sparked up his arm to his back.

Yamaguchi bolted upright, and they all turned to stare. One of his hands reached frantically for his back. Shouyou pretended not to notice how his other was tightly linked with Tsukishima's. He couldn't see the freckled boy's face from where he was sitting, but something seemed to crumple in Yamaguchi and he leaned forward to hide his expression in Tsukishima's shoulder. The blond boy didn't seem at all startled, and rubbed the back of Yamaguchi's head comfortingly with his free hand.

Suga broke the silence first. "How are you feeling, Yamaguchi?" His soft eyes were full of concern.

Yamaguchi's freckled back tensed, and Tsukishima answered for him. "He's fine." The blond boy's answer was short but he sounded almost relieved. He glanced down at Yamaguchi's back, as though considering touching it, but the demon seemed to sense his intention because a shirt starting smoking back into place.

Tsukishima looked like he wanted to say something else, but at that moment there was a knock at the door. Everyone in the room tensed.

Shouyou made eye contact with Kageyama - feud temporarily forgotten - and the dark-haired boy shrugged. He folded his wings more neatly and shifted to stand directly behind the red-head.

As he'd moved, Tsukishima had called for whoever it was to come in. The door opened, and Shouyou found himself looking at an older and much more friendly-looking version of Tsukishima, sans glasses.

The older boy glanced around the room sheepishly. "Sorry, Kei - I didn't realise you had guests round." He acknowledged both Shouyou and Suga with a cheerful smile, obviously not noticing Kageyama's dark presence hanging behind the red-head. What did make Shouyou frown was that he didn't seem to notice Yamaguchi. He knew that demons could hide themselves, but did Tsukishima's family really have no idea that -

"Don't worry about it, nii-chan." Tsukishima sounded at ease, but there was a stiffness to his figure that even he couldn't fully rid himself of. It probably didn't help that Yamaguchi was still leaning against his chest. He'd lowered his hand to make it less obvious that the demon was sitting there, but surely Tsukishima's brother would notice  _something_ if he spent too long in the room with them.

Suga took action first. "We should probably be going anyway." He stood up with an easy smile and a reserved fluttering of his wings. Shouyou followed suit, Kageyama stopping him from falling backwards in his erratic movement to stand up. "You should tell your friend to come meet up with us as well. If he wants." Suga met Tsukishima's cool gaze. The blond boy nodded, but it was Yamaguchi that shifted - looking vaguely smoky as he did so - to follow Suga on his way out of the room.

Tsukishima didn't even follow the freckled boy leaving with his eyes, and Shouyou wondered how much practice he'd had at ignoring Yamaguchi whilst other people were in the room. It made Shouyou's stomach twist uncomfortably.

The red-head mimicked Suga's fluid bow to Tsukishima's older brother with a hasty one of his own. He trailed behind Yamaguchi as they went to collect their shoes from the main door, forcing himself not to look back to check if Kageyama was following as well. Then his feather mark tickled his palm, and he realised he didn't have to.

* * *

Shouyou took the lead once they were outside, guiding Suga in the general direction of the school. In his worry over Yamaguchi earlier in the afternoon, he'd ended up forgetting his bicycle there. He didn't really need it for the ride home - but it made travelling downhill in the mornings a lot easier. Once they turned a couple more corners away from Tsukishima's house, he guessed it was OK to start acknowledging the two demons again though.

He glanced at Yamaguchi first, still a little concerned. Whatever Suga had done to heal him had definitely helped a lot, because the freckled boy's complexion now seemed a much healthier shade, and he walked with more certainty of his steps. But Shouyou wasn't stupid enough to believe that all kinds of pain could be seen from the outside.

Still, he didn't want to bring that up with the demon - just make sure that he was all right. But the freckled boy was probably sick of people asking how he was by now, so Shouyou tried a different approach. "Does Tsukishima always do that when you're at home, Yamaguchi?"

"Huh?" Yamaguchi blinked away whatever he had been thinking about. He stared at Shouyou. "What do you mean?"

"Y'know... ignore you when other people are in the room?" There were several heartbeats of silence from all of them, and Shouyou looked over his shoulder to find Kageyama staring at him like he'd grown a second head. "What?"

Suga smiled gently whilst Kageyama muttered something under his breath. Shouyou threw the demon a displeased look, but glanced back at Yamaguchi when the other boy laughed softly.

"What else is he supposed to do, Hinata?" Yamaguchi smiled, but it didn't match the dull look in his eyes. "The rest of his family don't know about me. It would be odd if he kept looking at or talking to the same patch of thin air."

Shouyou frowned. "But... I thought you two have had a contract for _years_." His face suddenly morphed into one of abject horror. "You mean you've been contracted to Stingyshima for  _years_ without anyone else to even acknowledge you, let alone  _talk_ to?" He couldn't help the high-pitched tone of distress his voice took.

Suga coughed in a way that might have been covering a laugh, and he dropped his pace even more to fall into line next to Kageyama. He patted Hinata's demon on the shoulder comfortingly, ignoring how uncomfortable the dark-haired boy's expression was.

Even Yamaguchi seemed to take amusement from Hinata's words. "Tsukki is a lot better company once you get to know him." He grinned, and this time it really did stretch across his whole face.

That answer didn't satisfy Shouyou in the slightest, but he filed away the information to consider later.

Yamaguchi accompanied Shouyou as he went to unlock his bicycle from the stands. The red-head knew that it was at least partly to deflect his attention from Suga wanting to have a private conversation with Kageyama, but he ignored the ripple of annoyance that overtook him and pushed aside the thoughts of his dark-haired source of constant exasperation. Shouyou was really starting to appreciate the freckled demon's easy company. Unlike Tsukishima, Yamaguchi was very pleasant to be around.

Shouyou decided to voice his thoughts as he fiddled with the bike lock. "It still surprises me that you are so different from Tsukishima."

Yamaguchi hovered a short distance behind him, giving him space to move his bicycle out from the stands. "Well... we're very different people." Shouyou glanced up at him once his bike was almost free. The demon chewed on his lip as he considered his words. "You and Kageyama aren't very similar either, are you?"

Shouyou felt his eyebrows crease with annoyance. "I guess not. If we were more similar, maybe he'd trust me more." The red-head tugged his bicycle entirely free with more force than was necessary. He nearly toppled backwards, but Yamaguchi caught him before he fell to the ground.

"Tsukki and I grew up together." The freckled boy continued speaking as he helped Shouyou right himself. "Well, Tsukki grew  _up_. I'm not sure what I did." There was a nostalgic grin on his face that seemed to show every year that Yamaguchi had lived.

For the first time, Shouyou found himself wondering how old Yamaguchi was. And for that matter,  _how old is Kageyama?_

"Try not to get too frustrated with him, Hinata." It was almost as though Yamaguchi could sense the turn Shouyou's thoughts had taken. "Kageyama and I have both been around for a long,  _long_ time, but we're both still learning. And Kageyama... he hasn't had the best time either."

Shouyou mulled over Yamaguchi's words. Not having had 'the best time' was an incredibly mild way of putting whatever had happened to the freckled boy's back. Even so, Yamaguchi seemed content with what he had, and was even going out of his way to make Shouyou feel better. Tsukishima's demon was thoughtful in a way that Shouyou doubted Kageyama ever would be.

He sighed and shook his head, starting to push his bike back to where Suga and Kageyama were waiting. "Yamaguchi, you're really cool, you know."

" _W-what?_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hinata was a little angsty in this chapter, but he (understandably) doesn't like being left out of the loop by Kageyama.
> 
> The longer this fic goes on, the more nervous I get about posting each new chapter. There's still such a long way to go and I really hope that you all stick around until the end!


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well..." Tadashi closed his eyes and sighed. If Kageyama ever found out about this, him not being happy would be an understatement. "I'm not recommending that we  _eavesdrop_ , per se, but -"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone that commented at the end of the last chapter! It really helped to get me motivated about writing again. I'm going to try for a chapter every other week, but if I finish one ahead of time I'll post the new chapters early too.
> 
> Saying that - here's a chapter for Valentine's Day weekend! I've been a little slow with updating lately, so this is to make up for that. This chapter originally didn't exist (at least, not as long as it is now), but I realised that it _had_ to come before the next few. It's a little heavy, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Tadashi could tell that Hinata was still annoyed with Kageyama. Although the red-head's expression had softened, remnants of a frown still remained on his face. It was understandable, really. It wasn't like he and Tsukki never got annoyed with one another either.

It did bother him that Tsukki didn't want to introduce him to his brother. His parents, Tadashi could understand - they had no knowledge whatsoever of demons - but Akiteru knew almost as much about summoning demons as Tsukki did. Well, as much as a human could know without actually having a full contract with one. The two brothers had done a lot of research before Tadashi had met Tsukki. Akiteru wouldn't shun either of them for having a contract. He'd probably be delighted.

But that was the one issue that Tsukki remained stubborn on. The blond boy's face would go completely blank whenever Tadashi brought it up, and his eyes would glance to one side behind his glasses. He wouldn't fight Tadashi on it, but he had a way of shifting the conversation away from his brother when he wanted to - so often Tadashi wouldn't even get to the main issue at hand. And the demon would let him. There were a lot of things to consider, and Tadashi would never push Tsukki into something he so obviously didn't want to do. Not for himself. For Tsukki? Maybe.

Tsukki's relationship with his brother didn't seem to be getting any better, even after all these years. And it was all a misunderstanding between them. If Tadashi and Akiteru formally met, the demon was sure that a lot of things would be resolved between them. 

Akiteru might worry about his younger brother, but Tsukki worried about him too. Even if he didn't like it being pointed out.

Tadashi didn't want Hinata and Kageyama's relationship to fall apart because of a simple misunderstanding. So, he tried to help Hinata to see past his annoyance with the dark-haired demon.

They had almost reached the final corner when he put a tentative hand on Hinata's shoulder. The smaller boy stopped pushing his bicycle and looked up at him, expression shifting into confusion.

"What is it?"

"Well..." Tadashi closed his eyes and sighed. If Kageyama ever found out about this, him not being happy would be an understatement. "I'm not recommending that we  _eavesdrop_ , per se, but -"

Hinata's face brightened and he opened his mouth to make what Tadashi was sure would be a loud and startling noise of excitement. The demon covered his mouth frantically, pulling back only when Hinata seemed ready to lower his volume by several decibels. "That's a great idea, Yamaguchi!" He hopped up and down on the spot.

The red-head's excitement was catching, and Tadashi smiled. "Please don't ever tell Kageyama that I encouraged this. Not that I  _am_ , but..." He blanched, recalling when Tsukki had pissed the other demon off during their first meeting. "I'd really rather not deal with the full force of his anger again."

Hinata was all smiles. "Don't worry about it, Yamaguchi!" He patted the freckled-boy on the back encouragingly. "What Kageyama doesn't know won't hurt him."

Tadashi considered the wiseness of those words as the red-head's face took on a determined expression. Hinata crouched lower and peered around the corner at where Kageyama and Suga were standing. One of his hands braced his bike against the wall so that it wouldn't fall over.

Tadashi crouched slightly too, shifting to lean over both Hinata's red hair and his bicycle. His vision sharpened automatically when he saw Suga and Kageyama's wings. Kageyama's long black feathers were relaxed against his back, as were Suga's white ones. Seeing them side by side, almost like opposing reflections in a mirror, Tadashi couldn't help but feel a pang of jealously. He quickly suppressed it.

Thankfully, the dark-haired boy wasn't facing them directly - both angel and demon had their sides to the duo. Tadashi let out a breath of relief. He had been sure that Kageyama would notice them immediately if he had been facing their direction precisely. Suga probably would as well, but he didn't seem as concerned about keeping secrets from Hinata as Kageyama was. At the very least, he probably wouldn't rat them out.

Kageyama and Suga spoke softly, but their voices still carried. It became a habit to speak at an audible level - even when having a private conversation - when you were never at risk of being overheard by the general, human public.

"- I really think you should just tell him though. You've stuck around Hinata longer than you ever have with any other human. Even Oikawa's noticed your interest." Suga's voice was like a gentle pealing of a bell. It even made Tadashi feel relaxed, so he had to wonder what affect it had on humans. "If you're going to lie to him, could you at least not lie to him about this?"

Tadashi felt Shouyou stiffen below him, and glanced down. The red-head's expression was empty, reserved. He was waiting to hear more before he decided how to react. Kageyama spoke up, and Tadashi looked up again.

"He doesn't _need_ to know though." The dark-haired boy's face was pinched into a tight frown, but there wasn't much force behind it.

"Kageyama..." Suga sighed, like this was a conversation he was tired of having. "Sometimes it's not about people  _needing_ to know something. It's about you telling them because you care about them." He put a gentle hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "And they care about you."

From such a close distance, Tadashi's sharp vision could make out how Kageyama's eyes teared up ever so slightly as he met Suga's gaze. It was a show of vulnerability he had never expected from a demon like Kageyama, and he wondered if they really were doing the right thing listening in to this conversation.

"Hinata," he whispered, "maybe we should..."

Kageyama's voice cut him off. "I don't want him to laugh at me."

Suga's head cocked to one side. "You think Hinata will laugh at you?"

Hinata shifted in Tadashi's peripheral vision, but the demon's eyes were locked on how uncomfortable Kageyama looked with the directness of the question.

"...No."

"Good." Suga brightened visibly. "Because I don't either. I don't think Hinata will ever laugh at you, Kageyama." The demon glanced away from him, but Suga continued anyway. "I know it isn't easy for you to be open with others, but maybe you could make an exception? For Hinata?"

Tadashi could feel Hinata's tenseness, but he was almost afraid to look down at him again. Both of them were frozen in place, waiting for Kageyama's answer.

"I... guess so." Suga patted him on the shoulder cheerfully, and both Hinata and Tadashi let out simultaneous breaths of relief.

Hinata pulled back almost immediately, collapsing against his bike with a considering look on his face. Tadashi almost followed suit, but then Kageyama switched to a new topic of discussion that had him paling with each progressive word.

"Suga," Kageyama seemed to mull over his words, "did you notice anything weird about Tsukishima's house?"

"Oh, you mean the smell?" The angel's tone was light, almost flippant. It made Tadashi's stomach feel like it was filled with rocks. "I'm sure it's nothing - you know how it can get when demons spend too much time in one place."

Tadashi could feel Hinata staring up at him questioningly as Kageyama replied. "That may be the case, but Yamaguchi has never mentioned it. And the first time Hinata visited there, he _stank_. And he had only been to the  _doorway_." Out of the corner of his eye, Tadashi saw Hinata surreptitiously sniff his arm.

Warning bells started to flash in Tadashi's mind, and he couldn't help himself. The demon darted around the corner before either could say any more. " _What_ have I never mentioned?" He hated the way his voice waved.

Kageyama's dark wings twitched at his voice, and both angel and demon gave Tadashi their full attention. Kageyama's blue eyes briefly frowned at the space behind Tadashi's right hand side, and he didn't have to turn around to know that Hinata was peeking round the corner tentatively as well.

The dark-haired boy flushed knowingly, his mouth open to unleash what Tadashi was sure would be a very loud and angry reprimand for both of them. But Suga cut him off neatly.

"Your house smells like demonstink, Yamaguchi." The smile on his face was practically non-existent.

The words felt like a bucket of ice over Tadashi's head. Behind him, he could hear Hinata repeating the words to himself.  _Demonstink_ _._ Not exactly a common word for a human to hear, and even Yamaguchi had never heard it applied to himself before. "What are you talking about? No it doesn't!" He wanted so desperately for that to be true.

One of Kageyama's eyebrows twitched irritably. "It does. Your entire house reeks." His wings flapped as though to clear the air. "Tsukishima does too, but that's understandable - he has a demon contract. He's meant to smell like that." His eyes narrowed, and the air suddenly seemed to prickle with heat. "But his house shouldn't. What has happened in there?"

"Nothing!" Tadashi swallowed, taking a step backwards from the other demon's angry expression. Even Suga didn't look like he believed him. "I haven't done anything!" 

* * *

"It's been a long time since I've seen you have any friends over, Kei." Akiteru sounded so genuinely pleased that Kei was confused for several seconds. Then he remembered that his older brother had never met Yamaguchi. His gut twisted over the slip. It was easy to forget when he had just spent such a long period of time with people that readily accepted his demon's existence as the norm. But he couldn't afford to mess this up.

"So it is, nii-chan." Akiteru looked almost disappointed by the answer. Really, what did his brother expect him to say?

There was an awkward pause for several heartbeats before Akiteru spoke up again. "Are they from the volleyball team?"

"Something like that."

"Huh," Akiteru glanced at the ceiling as he thought back, "that red-head seemed a little small to be on the team. Is he a regular? The libero?"

"Yes and no. He's a middle blocker." Kei fought back a sigh, keeping his voice as monotone as possible. "His big personality more than makes up for his height."

Akiteru laughed knowingly. "By which you mean, he's loud and annoying and gets on your nerves. But he's probably an OK player too, hmm?"

Kei shifted uncomfortably. His brother always saw right through him.

Akiteru's grin widened before it dropped altogether. His tone was oddly serious. "I'm glad that you've started opening up again, Kei. What happened before, with the summoning..." Kei stiffened, but his brother didn't seem to notice. He opened and closed his mouth several times before continuing, staring at the floor. "I hope that you don't let your opinion of me get in the way of trusting others."

Kei blinked behind his glasses. That... wasn't what he had expected to hear. "Nii-chan, I don't know what you're talking about." Akiteru glanced up at him. "Volleyball is just a game. The team is fine."

A weak smile appeared on his brother's face before he left the room. Kei let out a breath as soon as he was gone, falling back to lie on the floor. Akiteru may have screwed up when he tried to summon a demon, but they had both come out of that relatively unscathed. Kei was fine with keeping his brother away from _real_  demons if it meant he never had to experience something like that again.

He hoped.

* * *

Shouyou's eyes flickered between Kageyama and Yamaguchi.  _Demonstink?_ He had never heard the phrase before, but the way his mark thrummed with energy made him certain that Kageyama didn't see it as a positive thing.

He braced himself, leaning his bicycle against the wall before pushing his way in between the two demons. His arm prickled uncomfortably. "Stop it! Both of you! This isn't helping!"

"Hinata is right." Suga delicately stuck a white wing in front of Kageyama's face. "Cool it down, Kageyama. You're even burning up Hinata." Now that Suga pointed it out, he was rather warm.

"We've all got things we don't want others knowing." Kageyama focused on him as soon as Suga's wing lowered. They locked gazes, and Shouyou _knew_ that Kageyama knew what he had overheard. He was really going to have to work on the 'not over-sharing' thing. At his words, the demon breathed in deeply, and a large majority of the heat left Shouyou - leaving only a bearable, candle-like warmth from his marked hand.

Kageyama snorted and turned his attention to Yamaguchi again. "Well, if it's not you, then you better figure out whatever's causing it. Otherwise you'll end up attracting a lot more trouble than any of us want to deal with." His eye's flashed dangerously, and Yamaguchi wilted.

Shouyou was just starting to feel left out of the loop - _again_ \- when Kageyama turned back to him. "Demons attract other demons. When someone is contracted to one of us, there are always signs - like the smell. It's not normally that strong, but for some reason -" he pointed at Yamaguchi, "- his human's house stinks a lot worse than is normal."

Yamaguchi refused to look at any of them, so Shouyou didn't doubt that something was going on. But the demon hadn't done anything so far to lead the red-head into thinking that his intentions were malicious. Even Shouyou could see how his dark freckles stood out against his pale face. He obviously had a reason for hiding this information.

"I... I hadn't noticed the smell." When Kageyama snorted again, the other demon looked up indignantly, hands bunching into fists at his sides. "I hadn't! I'm not gifted with a good nose - only eyes! Besides... Tsukki's house has always smelled the same to me."

Both Kageyama and Suga glanced at each other uncomfortably before the angel spoke up. "That's... probably not a good sign." He crossed his arms and touched his chin as he thought. "Kuroo has been to your house before though, hasn't he? I'm surprised he never mentioned anything - he tends to pick up on things like that."

Yamaguchi's mouth flattened into a thin line, and Shouyou echoed the sentiment. He trusted Kenma, sure, but the tall, dark-haired angel gave off a much more unsettling vibe. He didn't feel threatening, exactly... but the fact that he carried a scent of _burning_ made Shouyou wary enough of him.

They were all silent, unsure of what to say until Kageyama spoke up again. His words were directed at Yamaguchi only. "Well, whatever it is - I hope you both know what you're doing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Akiteru tried to summon a demon in the past. And he fucked up - badly.
> 
> Oh, and before I forget - I'm not sure if anyone reads my other wingfic AU, but I'm working with [Valgus](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Valgus/pseuds/Valgus) to turn [_wings above waves_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5233553) into a full-length doujin. We're still in the early planning stages, but it looks like it could turn out quite cool. If anyone is interested, we will eventually be posting stuff [here](http://wings-above-waves.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr. In the meantime, Valgus is also posting ongoing sketches for it [here](http://valgus207.tumblr.com/).


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No.” Kageyama’s frown looked like it was carved into his face. A few of his black feathers bristled defensively. “Absolutely not.”
> 
> “But why not?” Shouyou leaned over into the demon’s space as they walked home. There was a brief delay before Kageyama reared back, and the red-head grinned. “I bet she’d _love_ you. She likes birds, y’know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter to make up for it being nearly two weeks since the last one! I will try to write more in general for each upcoming chapter to make up for them not being posted as frequently.
> 
> This is probably my favourite chapter so far. It's one of the only ones that I've written and felt almost entirely satisfied with. I hope you guys like it!

The long walk back home was awkward for a number of reasons.

Suga had offered to walk Yamaguchi back to Tsukishima's house, and Shouyou had been sad to leave the bright angel's presence. He didn't say goodbye, instead only ruffling Shouyou's hair whilst he told him, "Look after Kageyama, OK?" 

Shouyou had nodded, as much to please Suga as confirm that he'd been going to do that anyway. That earned him a warm smile from the angel, and one of his white wings delicately brushed by the red-head's cheek as Suga turned away from him. He let Yamaguchi lead the way, patting him on the back reassuringly. The faint chiming that followed the angel disappeared with the last remnants of his white feathers vanishing around the corner.

Without Suga or Yamaguchi around, the atmosphere around Shouyou and Kageyama seemed so much tenser. It was like there was an elephant in the room - or walking next to them, Shouyou supposed. Kageyama knew that he had heard him talking to Suga, and Shouyou knew that Kageyama knew that he knew.

It boiled down to both boys thinking that the other was annoyed at them. And Shouyou _was_ annoyed at the demon - sort of. He pushed his bicycle along silently and side-eyed the taller boy without turning his head. Kageyama was probably frustrated with the red-head as well, based on how stiffly he was walking and the distinct lack of  _anything_ from him through the mark for a while now. Even his wings seemed frozen in place.

Shouyou wanted to ask the demon about it - he really did - but it didn't feel like the right time. He didn't want them to start arguing again. Yamaguchi was right, he and Kageyama were very different from one another. He couldn't be sure of how he would react. Shouyou needed to wait for the right time to bring it up.

He needed something to distract the both of them for a while, and he already had something in mind: he wanted to introduce Kageyama to Natsu properly.

It made sense in his head. The demon had obviously taken a liking to his younger sister. Shouyou wasn’t sure if it was because she was related to him, or because she was so young, or maybe it was even her red hair - but there was something about Natsu that made Kageyama’s face go soft with consideration. He’d held her so delicately in his arms that night after Kenma had left, like she was breakable.

But he still had no reassurance about how the demon would react to such a suggestion either.

Shouyou touched his cheek with his free hand where Suga's feathers had stroked it. For that brief moment of contact between them, Shouyou had felt  _lighter_. Just the remnants of the sensation gave him the determination to tell Kageyama his idea directly.

The dark-haired boy, unfortunately, wasn’t exactly receptive.

“No.” Kageyama’s frown looked like it was carved into his face. A few of his black feathers bristled defensively. “Absolutely not.”

“But why not?” Shouyou leaned over into the demon’s space as they walked home. There was a brief delay before Kageyama reared back, and the red-head grinned. “I bet she’d _love_ you. She likes birds, y’know.”

Kageyama flushed even though his mouth was still set in a hard line. A slight tinge of his annoyance bled through the mark, but that was it. “Too bad I’m not a crow or something then.”

Shouyou sighed and rolled his eyes, pulling back again. Trust him to get the most irritating demon out there. “I just don’t see what the big deal is. You’ve already basically met her anyway – it’s just that she can’t see you whenever she barges into the room.” He frowned. “I’m pretty sure she thinks I talk to myself now.”

“No.”

“ _Gyah_ , you’re no fun at all!” Shouyou threw both of his arms in the air dramatically, and his bike nearly fell over.

Kageyama’s feathers ruffled at that comment, but his voice was remarkably composed. “How many people do you think have met Yamaguchi?”

Shouyou knew where the conversation was going, and he didn't like it. "Uhhh..."

The demon faced Shouyou with a stony expression. “Excluding you and Tsukishima, I doubt any other human even knows he exists," he reminded him. 

Pity rose up in Shouyou’s throat. “It's... it's not right though,” he muttered. remembering his conversation with Yamaguchi. _"Tsukki is a lot better company once you get to know him."_ He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to go _years_ living with someone, and not even have any of their family know that you existed.

He didn’t want that for Kageyama.

Almost as soon as he thought it, the demon’s nearest wing stretched out to brush against the back of Shouyou’s neck. It lingered there for longer than necessary, only pulling back when a gentle feeling of _I don’t mind_ washed over him. Shouyou breathed out, glad that they were sharing openly again.

“Even so,” he had to pause, coughing to cover the heady feeling of their bond returning, “I still want you to at least meet Natsu.” Shouyou turned to Kageyama with a determined expression on his face. “She’s already met Kenma anyway, so it doesn’t really make much of a difference if she meets you too.”

The dark-haired boy met Shouyou’s gaze briefly before turning away from him. “There’s a big difference between meeting an angel and meeting a _demon_.” His wings twitched, and Shouyou wasn’t sure whether Kageyama was doing it purposely or not.

“But you basically _are_ an angel, right?” He reached out towards the black feathers. “I mean, you have wings and –“

Kageyama flinched from him so violently that Shouyou actually took a step backwards, nearly falling over his bike in the process. “ _Don’t touch them._ ”

The words echoed as a spark of feeling from his mark as well, and the red-head stepped away further. His eyes watered with the pain. “Kageyama, I –“

“See?” The demon’s eyes were dark, even as his expression crumpled. His fingers clawed their way into his black hair, the tips of them going darker and more deadly looking. “I can’t even avoid hurting you, and you want me to meet a human _child_ –“ His gaze went unfocused as he started pulling at his own hair.

“Kageyama!” Shouyou was almost yelling, and pulled his voice back to a more acceptable level. He pushed his bike into the grassy verge next to him, and reached to gently untangle the demon’s hands from his hair. “It’s OK.” Despite his words, the red-head was shaking. He'd never seen the other boy like this before.

Kageyama looked like he wanted to pull back from the touch, but Shouyou refused to loosen his grip. He held tight even as Kageyama leaned away from him.

“You don’t have to worry.” The red-head waited until the demon met his gaze before continuing. “I know you’d never hurt Natsu deliberately.” He ran a thumb over the back of one of Kageyama’s knuckles, which was rapidly becoming less and less black the longer he held onto it. “Or me.”

Shouyou held his gaze until he felt Kageyama accept his confidence in him as his own.

* * *

A few hours later found both boy and demon sat in Shouyou’s room yet again. The red-head had quickly changed and then gently (but firmly) persuaded Kageyama to sit in his favourite chair whilst he went to find Natsu. His little sister usually didn’t need much persuading to come spend time with him – she wandered into his room at least five times a day anyway – and, sure enough, Natsu was all too eager to come meet Shouyou’s ‘new friend’.

Shouyou peeked around the doorway first. Kageyama was twitching nervously where he sat, with his longest feathers sticking out in all directions. The red-head narrowed his eyes.

"You better not be hiding yourself again."

"Of course I'm not, idiot." His voice was firm, but Kageyama shifted tellingly. The demon crossed his arms and rubbed at the bare skin of his upper arms with his hands. He'd changed clothes in much the same way as Shouyou had, and now appeared to be wearing shorts and a simple t-shirt. His nails were still longer than Shouyou was used to seeing, and the red-head's eyes followed how the sharp, black tips left indents in the demon's skin.

Shouyou shook himself, because now wasn't the time for that.

"Nii-chan? What's going on?" Natsu's voice was full of barely suppressed curiosity. "Can I meet your friend now?"

He glanced behind himself, patting her on the head comfortingly. "Of course you can - I said you could, didn't I?" He turned back and gave Kageyama a shallow, warning glare before opening the door fully.

Shouyou chose to watch Natsu's reaction rather than the demon's, because he could imagine the motions Kageyama's face would be going through. But the way his little sister's face lit up was a delight to watch. Red curls framed her face as she turned to him, eyes wide. "Nii-chan, he has  _wings_!"

The smile fell off Shouyou's face as he turned back to Kageyama. The demon's face was white as a sheet, and the red-head could feel his own paling as well.

"W-wings?" Shouyou stumbled over the word. Why wasn't he hiding them?! He wanted Natsu to meet Kageyama, but that didn't mean she had to know  _everything_.

A fierce wave of rebuttal washed over him, and it took Shouyou a moment to realise that it was coming from the demon. Shouyou met his gaze, and they shared a moment of mutual panic. For some reason, that almost made him feel better. Could Kageyama not... ?

Natsu glanced between them, confusion written all over her face. She pouted in the way that only young children were capable of doing. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Nii-chan?"

Right. "Natsu, this is... Tobio Kageyama." Was he even OK to give the demon's full name to his younger sister? "Kageyama, this is my sister, Natsu."

Natsu skipped over to the dark-haired boy. "Tobio-nii-chan!" Both Shouyou and Kageyama flinched at the nickname, with the red-head coughing into his hand to hide a laugh. (Badly, apparently, because Kageyama still narrowed his eyes at him.) Natsu's eyes roamed over the demon's black feather's appreciatively. "Your wings are so pretty! Can I touch them?"

" _No!_ "

Both Kageyama and Natsu glanced at Shouyou in surprise, and he blushed. "Y-you can't just ask to touch them like that, Natsu!" he babbled. "It's rude!" He ignored the odd look Kageyama was giving him over her shoulder, as well as the warmth that was bleeding up from his mark.

Shouyou surreptitiously gave his palm a once-over whilst his sister was busy apologising to Kageyama, and saw that his mark was glowing with a steady, candle-like orange. Curiously, he ran a finger over it and noticed that Kageyama shivered almost in time with the motion. Huh. That was new.

"Are you cold, Tobio-nii-chan?" Of course Natsu would draw attention to it. She turned to Shouyou reprimandingly. "Nii-chan! You should have given him a blanket if he's cold!" Her tiny face was decorated with a pouting scowl.

"No..." Kageyama interrupted before Shouyou could even open his mouth. Was the demon  _blushing_? "It's fine - don't worry about it."

Natsu appeared only partially mollified. "Well, as long as you're _sure_." She eyed him as though assessing his stupidity, then leaned in eagerly, placing a hand on either one of Kageyama's knees. The demon eyed her warily. "Why do you have wings? I like how they're black like a crow's!" She cocked her head to one side. "Are you sure I can't touch them?"

Kageyama's expression seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable. It softened his face. "I'd rather you didn't, but..." Kageyama frowned, glancing to one side as he thought. "I guess I can do this." Slowly, as to not startle the young girl, he unfurled his wings so that the black feathers were stretched to their limits.

Natsu gasped appropriately, and her brother was tempted to follow suit. Shouyou had already seen the demon's wings in their full glory, of course. It wasn't as though Kageyama hadn't extended them fully before. But there was something about the way he deliberately displayed the feathers that drew his attention more than usual.

Suddenly, the red-head was struck with the unexpected memory of the time the demon had intimidated Tsukishima. At that time, Kageyama had been so bright he'd  _burned_.

There was no burning now, but there almost seemed to be a glow about him. Was it because Natsu had complemented them?

"How did you meet someone with wings, Nii-chan?" Natsu's voice startled him out of his reverie. She was now focused on him, though she had apparently managed to settle herself in Kageyama's lap as well.

Shouyou almost reached out to move her, sure that Kageyama would be uncomfortable with her close proximity, but then he caught sight of the demon's face. The dark-haired boy had a soft look in his eyes. One of his hands held her upright around her stomach, even as his black wings curled around her tiny frame protectively.

Natsu noticed the shifting feathers and beamed up at the demon happily, and Shouyou had never felt so jealous of his younger sister before.

"Haha... funny you should ask that..." he trailed off, at a loss for how to answer her. There was no way that he could mention summoning circles and Latin phrases and _that damn chicken_. Meeting Kageyama's gaze didn't provide any help either, because the demon was grinning wickedly at the red-head from above Natsu's head.

Great.

* * *

There was a faint tapping on the window before Yamaguchi materialised in his room. Kei normally appreciated the warning, but today it gave the blond an uneasy feeling in his stomach that he couldn't rationalise. He twisted his chair round so that he could watch Yamaguchi's smokey form take on a solid state.

"Tsukki." Yamaguchi's freckled face was almost as pale as it had been when he was injured. He seemed breathless. "They know that something happened here."

Well, that explained Kei's queasiness.

The blond boy sighed, taking off his glances so that he could run a hand over his face. It hadn't been that long since his brother had left his room, but Kei had settled himself at his desk and made a vain attempt to ignore Yamaguchi's absence with homework. He steeled himself for the answer before he asked, "Did you tell them?"

"No!" Kei looked up, and even without his glasses he could make out how offended Yamaguchi was. "I'm not  _their_ demon," the freckled boy muttered, flushing as he glanced to one side. Kei felt a detached sense of relief that the colour was returning to the demon's face.

"Then that's fine." He turned away from Yamaguchi as casually as he could force himself to move, settling his glasses back on his face in the same motion. But the demon's eyes were too sharp for that. Kei could feel them boring holes into his back as he pretended to look over his homework once again. His mark near enough _burned_ with the attention.

Yamaguchi was silent for almost a full minute. He didn't even sit down, and Kei could picture how he would be standing - stiff-legged, hands clenched into tight fists at his sides and a determined expression on his freckled face. He'd seen it enough over the years that he didn't need a visual reference any more. Yamaguchi's voice was flat when he finally spoke.

"Kageyama says your house stinks of demon."

Kei's hand froze in place as his mark prickled uneasily. He didn't quite drop his pen with the shock, and was thankful for small mercies. Kei set it down careful and spun to face Yamaguchi again. He stared at the demon blankly, but that was all Yamaguchi needed to continue.

"He didn't know the source, but... it worries me, Tsukki." He bit his lip, running a hand through his dark hair uncertainly. "I didn't even notice the smell at all. It's probably because my nose isn't that good, but," he stared at Kei with a frightened look in his eyes, "What if it's because it's always been here? What if it's because of  _me_?"

Yamaguchi's voice had cracked on the last word, and Kei wasn't sure what to say to reassure him, but the words came anyway. "It's not your fault." He didn't move from his seat, because he knew Yamaguchi well enough to know when he didn't want close physical proximity. "It's not anyone's fault." Did he really believe that though?

"We should tell them." Yamaguchi's soft words were a direct contrast to his firm expression.

"And have them do what?" Kei scoffed. "Start questioning Akiteru? It's better that he stays away from demons." He shifted in his chair, picking absently at invisible fluff on his sleeve.

"Tsukki." Yamaguchi was giving him a hard look when he finally met his eyes. "If the house smells like demons, we might not have a choice." The demon's eyes flashed in the way they sometimes did when he was feeling particularly determined.

Kei clenched his jaw. He didn't want to admit it, but Yamaguchi was right. He was normally right. 

"I thought that I'd cleaned up everything from the summoning when it happened," Yamaguchi continued, staring down at the floor, "But it seems that I missed... _something_." He met Kei's eyes one again. His own were wide. "We need help."

Kei grimaced ever so slightly, but inwardly he agreed. He'd be an idiot to put his family at risk. But he had to think of how he wanted to approach this - he would rather not needlessly involve his brother. Kei sighed, staring down at his hands like they somehow held the answer.

* * *

"Kageyama."

"What?"

Shouyou turned over in his bed, ignoring the demon's annoyed tone as he tried to make out his vague outline in the dark. "I- actually, wait, sorry - could you make a light or something? I can't see you properly."

The dark-haired boy muttered something - Shouyou caught the words  _lazy_ and  _the light switch is right there_ \- but shifted in the darkness. Shouyou blinked pointlessly, trying to figure out what the darker mass shifting behind Kageyama was. Then, a faint glow appeared, spreading outwards from the demon's wings - which he'd spread out to their full length behind himself.

Whatever Kageyama was doing, it made his feathers shimmer with an iridescent light, dull enough that Shouyou's eyes didn't feel at all strained. They alternated between shades of yellow, orange and red - but Shouyou was sure that there was more orange than either of the other colours.

"Better?"

Shouyou's breath hitched. "That's..."  _Breathtaking_ _._ "Better. Yeah." The shimmering flickered as the red-head sat up in bed, and he noticed that his mark was echoing the glowing too.

"What is it?" Kageyama asked again. This time, his voice was unsure and laced with unspoken questions.

Shouyou took a deep breath. "Your wings..." he started tentatively, and the demon stiffened. The tips of his feathers began to lose most of their glow, so Shouyou reconsidered what he was going to say.

"They're beautiful, Kageyama." The dark-haired boy's eyes met Shouyou's uncertainly, like he was seeing him for the first time. "They're beautiful, so why won't you let me touch them?"

Kageyama seemed to glance to one side for a moment. "Do you need to touch _everything_ you find beautiful?" His mouth was stiff, and he grit out the last word almost unwillingly.

Shouyou frowned. "Of course not. But we're not talking about some famous painting behind barriers at a museum. This is about very large and  _always in the way_ parts of your body that I have to avoid touching because you've made it very clear that you'll not be happy if I do, even though you're _always_ brushing them against my hair or my face and _I just_ -"

"Be quiet, dumbass!" Kageyama hissed out, even though his cheeks were bright with spots of colour. "You'll wake up your entire family."

Shouyou hadn't even realised that his voice had escalated so much, but he refused to apologise. He glared at the other boy as though it was his fault that he'd nearly been shouting, which it kind of was. Maybe bringing this up so late hadn't been such a good idea.

"I just don't understand you, Kageyama."

Before he even realised what he was doing, the red-head had pushed away his covers and began closing the gap between himself and the demon. "I don't care if you don't want them touched. Fine. I won't touch them -  _ever_."

Kageyama looked like he wanted to say something, so Shouyou leaned forwards to grip the sides of the chair. He ignored how the demon flinched back with the movement, his mouth closing abruptly.

Shouyou waited until Kageyama met his eyes, and then held his gaze steadily. "But, in return, I want you to stop giving me feather-light brushes - literally - because it makes my head spin and my chest feel funny, and I just- I just don't know any more, Kageyama." Embarrassingly, the last few words came out choked, and Shouyou felt tears begin to prick at the corners of his eyes. "I just  _don't know_."

The demon seemed at a loss for words, and was staring at Shouyou like he thought that the red-head was going to break into a thousand pieces. Shouyou glanced to the side, uncomfortable with the look on Kageyama's face. He bit his lip to stop it from quivering.

Suddenly, all of the light in the room was extinguished. Shouyou straightened and took a half-step backwards, half in confusion and half because,  _oh, great, Kageyama definitely isn't going to talk to me then_.

A hand on his wrist stilled him.

Kageyama didn't quite pull him forward - he allowed the red-head to stand, but pulled him perhaps a little too close for Shouyou to feel entirely comfortable. It was hard to tell exactly where Kageyama's face was in the dark, which didn't help either.

Carefully, the grip of his wrist turned it over. The feel of Kageyama's sharp nails pricking his skin left Shouyou only for another, rough palm to slide into his own. The red-head shivered as a spark ran up his arm, but it wasn't unpleasant.

"I'm sorry." Kageyama's voice was quiet, quieter than Shouyou had ever heard him speak. "I - I don't like talking about it."

He paused, and in that moment of silence Shouyou noticed that he could hear another heartbeat almost as clearly as his own. He glanced down at the dark smudge that was probably their joined hands, and realised that it was coming from Kageyama.

The demon's heartbeat thrummed like a small bird's, and his shuddering breath broke the quiet of the room. Feeling a lot braver than he would have been if he could have seen Kageyama's face, Shouyou returned the demon's grip and tightened his fingers around Kageyama's hand. It seemed to fortify Kageyama - even if his heart didn't slow - and he continued.

"My wings... they don't work properly. They're," the demon's breath caught in his throat, "broken."

Apparently, their link was a lot stronger when they were holding hands like this, because Shouyou didn't even need to voice his question before Kageyama began answering it.

"I can't fly."

Shouyou's mind started buzzing. Multiple pieces started to click into place. True, it wasn't like he had seen any of the angels he'd met take to the sky, but he'd spent a lot more time around his demon. And he'd never once seen Kageyama make any sort of move to leave the ground. It made sense.

"Suga?" Shouyou prompted gently.

"He knows." Kageyama confirmed. "That's what he was talking about." _When you caught us_ , Shouyou's mind supplied helpfully. The demon paused for a moment before continuing. "He tried to heal them once, and it didn't work. Not entirely." His grip tightened, and Shouyou rubbed a thumb over Kageyama's hand unthinkingly. The demon's heartbeat started to speed up again.

Shouyou hated to bring it up, but he had to ask. "Kageyama, have you -"

"Yes." The demon's voice was seething with rage, but none of it was directed at the red-head. "Trust me - I've tried. Multiple times. I can't."

The darkness became stifling once again in their shared silence, so Shouyou reached out with his free hand. He touched what he thought might be Kageyama's shoulder, and let his hand settle there before he spoke. "Is that why you won't let me touch them?" One of his fingers inadvertently brushed over the skin just above Kageyama's shirt collar, and the demon shivered.

"They're very... sensitive." Shouyou nodded even though he knew that Kageyama probably couldn't see him, because he'd figured that much out for himself. The demon continued anyway. "Imagine that you had two extra hands, and they were on your back. You wouldn't go around holding hands with everyone, but that doesn't mean that you can't use your hands to touch things."

Oh. That... sort of made sense? It was a bit of a strange analogy, but Shouyou got the idea. He hummed consideringly, and a shared warmth of understanding bled between his and Kageyama's joined hands.

"Kageyama." Shouyou waited until he got a sensation that the demon was entirely focused on him before he continued. "Could I... ?" Had he ever actually _asked_ before?

Apparently not, if the way Kageyama held his breath was any indication.

A sudden warmth blanketed the red-head's shoulders. He almost panicked before realising what had happened. Kageyama's wings engulfed his small frame, but it felt more comforting than when his mother had used to tuck him into bed when he was little.

Slowly, he let go of Kageyama's shoulder, giving the demon plenty of time to move them away if he didn't want the wall of feathers to be touched. Gently, he reached out - almost able to make out where the wings started in the darkness - and tried to stop his hand from shaking too much.

The feathers flushed with light and colour when he made contact. Shouyou knew it was just a trick that Kageyama was doing to make it easier for Shouyou to see them, but that didn't make it any less stunning. He ran his hand wonderingly across some of the inner feathers, barely holding back a gasp of excitement.

He spoke softly to the demon, but the sincerity in his voice was real. "Kageyama, you really are amazing!" He kept his hand in place over some feathers and used the light to focus on Kageyama's face.

The dark-haired boy seemed unsure, and his face was still a little reserved. But even he couldn't hide how warm his feathers got at Shouyou's touch. Or how a shudder rippled over them as the red-head stroked his hand across one of his wings.

"Amazing." Shouyou met Kageyama's eyes once again. " _Really_ ," he emphasised, and the demon's heart skipped a beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 14, featuring Kageyama: the demon night-light.
> 
> I've had part of this chapter written for MONTHS, so it was nice to actually be able to post it. Please let me know if you enjoyed it! 
> 
> This chapter was fairly easygoing but from the next one things are going to take a darker turn for a while. (Ohohoho.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> " _It's fine, Tsukki. Everything is fine._ " Yamaguchi's echoing voice was full of reassurances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to Krissei for beta-ing this chapter! I really appreciate it! And also to Rem who gave me an entire list of songs to listen to whilst I was writing. You guys are wonderful!
> 
> I was originally going to write one big longer chapter for this part, but I think it reads better when it's split up. (Also, it gives me extra time to work on the second half.)
> 
> There's some violence in this chapter and the next. Honestly, if that's not your thing - you could probably get away with skipping this chapter and the next one, as most of the aftermath probably will be in chapter 17. I don't think it's that bad, but I wanted to point it out just in case.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Kei tossed in his sleep.

_"Kei!" Akiteru walked into his room, holding a vaguely familiar book in his hands. "I finished reading it last night." His satisfied grin lit up his entire face. "I'm going to try the summoning tonight!"_

_Kei's expression mirrored his brother's. His eyes sparkled. "That's so cool, Nii-chan!" He took the book from his brother's outstretched hands, marvelling at the embossed cover. Akiteru had been the one to introduce Kei to demonology, but his passion for it was all his own. "Can I watch?"_

_The smile on Akiteru's face slipped a little. "Well, I..." He coughed, but Kei could tell it was so that he gave himself an excuse to think. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea." He put a hand on Kei's shoulder, and the smaller boy pouted._

_"But, Nii-chan, I know almost as much as you do!" He gazed up at his older brother with the most determined look he was capable of. "And you're always telling me that I shouldn't try summoning a demon on my own - so you shouldn't either!"_

_That made Akiteru pause for a moment. He scratched at his chin as he spoke reluctantly. "I guess..."_

_"Nii-chan,_ please _." Kei pouted. He would never have pulled such a face with anyone other than his brother, and he was_ desperate _. It had the desired effect._

_Akiteru gave him a reserved smile. "Well, OK then." He kneeled down in front of Kei and met his eyes. His expression was hard. "But I'm going to need you to listen to me when I do it, OK? If something goes wrong, we can't have you getting hurt." He smiled warmly at his younger brother._

_That was an easy promise for Kei to make. "Of course!" He trusted his brother._

The scene broke, melting into something dark and sinister. A clammy sweat broke out over Kei's skin. It didn't help that he had seen it all before.

 _"Nii-chan!" A much smaller Kei cried out. He stood up woozily, holding a hand up to his head. Blood pooled out from the wound from where he'd hit it as he'd been thrown against the wall. He tried to find his brother in the swarming mess of darkness that filled the room, but his eyes wouldn't focus. "Nii-chan!" He called out again, his heart pounding for so many reasons - all of them_ fear _._

 _Something shadowy slithered towards him, and Kei flattened himself against the wall. He wanted to run - he_ knew _he had to run - but his legs wouldn't believe him. Kei could make out a fuzzy outline as it reached out toward's his nearest leg, and he tensed, unable to force himself to move._

_There was a brilliant flash of light, and something stabbed the dark tendril. It started to flail violently, but couldn't pull back as something bright and sharp held it pinned against the floor._

_Kei couldn't seem to catch his breath, but he nearly lost it altogether when a slower-moving, dark smudge moved until it hovered in front of him. His legs gave in at that point, but the darkness solidified and caught him._

_"What are you doing here?"_

Kei jolted out of sleep, sitting up and gasping for breath. Almost immediately, Yamaguchi moved away from his usual seat at the window to make his way to the blond boy's side. Kei nearly flinched back from the demon, his thoughts still frayed at the edges by the vividness of his nightmare. He managed to stop himself before Yamaguchi could take any offence, however, and reached out to grasp desperately at the demon's shirt as he fought for breath.

In a slow, deliberate motion, Yamaguchi uncurled Kei's fingers from their grip so that he could hold his hand. He placed his other on top of Kei's chest. "Tsukki,  _breathe_ ," he commanded softly.

Kei struggled to make out the demon's face, with both the darkness and his lack of glasses not helping his poor eyesight. But he tried his best to make out Yamaguchi's expression, still unable to bring his breathing under control. The blond boy tightened his grip around Yamaguchi's freckled hand, and the demon squeezed back reassuringly.

Yamaguchi's hand on his chest drifted upwards to weave through the hair at the back of his neck. As soon as he made contact with Kei's contract mark, a much more pointed awareness of the demon's body assaulted the blond boy.

" _It's fine, Tsukki. Everything is fine._ " Yamaguchi's echoing voice was full of reassurances. Some of them weren't even words - just positive emotions that were meant to help settle out Kei's breathing. _Calm._ _Soft._ _Breathe._ The demon's thoughts brushed delicately against his own.

It didn't help.

Kei continued to grasp desperately at his demon's hand. He let out one more shuddering breath before he tried to relax. It was impossible. No matter how many seconds ticked by, the unsettling feeling didn't go away. Kei pushed the thought towards Yamaguchi, and the freckled boy tightened around his hand reassuringly.

" _There's nothing here now. That was in the past._ "

Kei looked up at him. Yamaguchi's face was blurry without his glasses, but from this distance he could at least make out the faint outline of his face in the dark. " _I need you to check outside._ "

Yamaguchi's expression crumpled. He opened his mouth like he wanted to speak, but the words echoed in Kei's head instead. " _I don't think -_ "

"Please."

The demon stilled at the spoken words. Kei's voice had been steady in the darkness, but Yamaguchi could have heard the fear that tinged it even if they hadn't had a physical connection at that moment in time.

Yamaguchi's voice was a soft whisper. "Of course, Tsukki." He sounded confused, but Kei could feel a faint sense of wariness emanating from the demon. Yamaguchi shifted back from Kei. He began to unclench his hand from Kei's as his other one moved from the blond boy's head to his cheek. "Don't worry." Despite the words, it was hard not to.

His shadowy form trailed across Kei's covers as he moved towards the window. Kei reached towards his bedside for his glasses, shaking hands pulling them on. Yamaguchi was framed by moonlight when he looked up. The demon breathed out, and his form blurred and shifted until he was left wearing darker clothing. It suited him.

The freckled demon's eyes shifted over to Kei's. They were glowing. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Then he broke apart into smoke and slithered through the tiny cracks around the window.

Kei breathed out and pulled up his legs so that he could rest his head on his knees. His heartbeat thundered in his ears. This feeling - it terrified him. Kei was rational. Sure, he got a little freaked out by nightmares - everyone did - but they didn't reduce him to a quivering mess. Not like this. Not normally.

Something was wrong.

Even with Yamaguchi checking outside for him, he didn't feel at all reassured. Kei swung his legs over the side of his bed, ignoring how his head spun a little with the movement. The floor was cold against his bare feet, but he didn't bother stopping to pull socks on. He needed to check on Akiteru.

Just the thought left a painful stab of fear in his gut. Kei's breath caught in his throat. Something was definitely off tonight.

Kei pulled open the door to his room after a quick glance over his shoulder at the window. He'd be quick. If not, Yamaguchi would be able to work out where he was.

Something dark and fast slammed into him as soon as he opened the door.

* * *

Shouyou drifted out of sleep to the sensation of something brushing back his hair. He murmured happily, leaning more heavily into the warmth next to his face and chest. Something around his waist tightened. A soft touch smoothed out his shirt across his stomach, and the red-head twitched dazedly in his sleep. The blanket over his shoulders and legs shifted, dragging across the bare skin of his feet in a way gentle way that almost tickled.

_Wait, that wasn't a blanket._

Shouyou blinked his eyes open. It was still dark, but his eyes could make out a vague shape surrounding him. Certainly, whatever he was currently curled up on top of was  _breathing_.

Kageyama.

The red-head tensed in place, then started to shift uncomfortably. He could feel the beginnings of a blush starting to creep up the back of his neck to his ears.

"Don't." Kageyama's quiet voice made Shouyou twitch with surprise. He looked up at the demon. Or, well, he  _tried_ to.

"But I'm literally  _sitting on you_." His voice made an embarrassing crack on the last word.

Shouyou's mark started to flicker with a candle-like warmth. "It's fine," Kageyama muttered, tightening his grip on Shouyou's shirt.

At the words, the red-head's heartbeat started to pick up. He was really glad it was dark - his face was probably like a bright red beacon right now. He'd wanted to get close to Kageyama, but this was a little... How had they even ended up like this?

"You sat and... stroked my feathers for a while, and then you started to get sleepy, so I told you that you could sit on me. Honestly, it's fine." He sounded very sure of himself, but the way the demon shifted his wings and thrummed awkward tension across the mark said otherwise.

"Oh." Shouyou had no idea how to respond. "OK."

He tried to relax again. It was almost impossible until one of Kageyama's wings subtly moved so that it lay across his hands. Shouyou took the hint and started running his fingers through the smaller feathers that lined the inside fold of Kageyama's wing. He took particular delight in how the demon's breathing seemed to catch in his throat. Shouyou narrowed his eyes curiously, before gently feeling his way across the entire edge of the wing with a single fingertip. Kageyama gave a full body shiver, and the red-head smiled.

"You really like that, don't you?"

Kageyama seemed to freeze, but he made no move to pull his wing back, and that was answer enough. "I will literally throw you off this chair."

Shouyou chuckled at the empty threat. He returned to stroking across the black feathers again, silently acknowledging that Kageyama had managed to distract him from his embarrassment. The red-head's feather mark started to glow softly, providing just enough light for him to make out the demon's profile. He glanced up at the dark-haired boy's face.

Kageyama looked different in the dark. His expression was softer, like he felt more at home in the lesser light. It wasn't that the demon was  _ugly_ \- far from it - but his expression during the day was usually tinged with a stony resilience that made it difficult for Shouyou to figure out what was going on beneath the surface. If he hadn't had the mark, Shouyou was sure he wouldn't have been able to read Kageyama at _all_.

Shouyou continued to map the contours of the demon's face as he gazed out of the red-head's window. It seemed like Kageyama wasn't paying him any attention whatsoever, so Shouyou slowly stroked across his wingtip as he stared up at him. One of Kageyama's eyes twitched, and then he turned to Shouyou with a frown.

"What?" His voice was gruff.  _Embarrassed_.

"Nothing, nothing..." Shouyou trailed off with a smile, avoiding Kageyama's piercing gaze.

The demon grunted, shifting his legs. The wing that Shouyou was holding stretched with the movement to give him a mouthful of feathers. He pushed it away, leaning into Kageyama's chest in the same motion. The dark-haired boy's heart beat against his ear like a drum. Shouyou's felt his face start to flush.

Kageyama's hand tightened around his chest again, and the red-head opened his mouth to make a joke until he glanced up and saw how much Kageyama's posture had stiffened. He was staring out of the window again. Whatever words Shouyou had been about to let tumble out of his mouth fell away, forgotten.

"What is it?"

A fleeting whisper across the mark told Shouyou to be quiet, so he remained silent as Kageyama stood both of them up. The nails from one of his hands dug into Shouyou's arm in an unnecessarily harsh grip. Shouyou winced, but didn't pull back. He was a little unsteady on his feet, but Kageyama's wings refused to let him move more than the tiniest distance from his side. Kageyama sniffed the air uneasily, and then his eyes narrowed.

"Demons."

* * *

Kei's head was spinning. He tried to breathe in the air he so desperately needed, but something had a tight grip around his throat. He tried to call for Yamaguchi, but he couldn't give the thought any direction. It seeped helplessly into the air around him - the air he was so pathetically cut off from.

He clawed desperately at whatever was cutting into his neck. A burning shadow had him pinned against the wall. It was even taller than Kei was, and had managed to lift his feet away from the ground easily. He kicked at it uselessly. It was becoming difficult to think straight.

The blond boy ended up thumping his legs against the wall to try and push back against the pressure on his throat. The dark thing - the  _demon_ \- simply tightened its grip, winding shadows around around his throat a few more times for good measure. Kei had the vague sensation that it was laughing at him. Behind it, even more shadows squirmed eerily against the dark background of the hallway.

There was a tentative sound to Kei's left, and it was like every shadow in room focused on the same spot. The door to Akiteru's room opened. "What -"

If Kei had been able to speak he would have screamed.

* * *

"Stay here."

Kageyama's voice left no room for argument, but  _as if_ Shouyou was just going to let him go out there on his own. "No!" he told Kageyama's back as he moved towards the window.

The demon's eyes flashed angrily in the dark as he turned back. "What?" He kept his voice low.

"I'm coming with you!" Shouyou glared up at the taller boy. "You're not leaving me here on my own!" he whispered back furiously.

"You absolute _dumbass_ , you're just a human - what do you think you could possibly do to help?!" Kageyama was seething. He was literally steaming around the edges. That made Shouyou pause for the tiniest of moments. Barely.

"You can't expect me to just wait here and -" Shouyou's words died in his throat. He blanched. "Natsu."

Kageyama's mouth thinned into a small line that was barely visible in the dark. "Your parents," he confirmed as well.

Shouyou was  _just_ a human, but he was a human with a  _demon_. His parents were still sleeping in their beds. His normal,  _human_ parents. And Natsu. Tiny, fragile Natsu who laughed and tried to touch Kageyama's wings when he wasn't looking. They had no defence whatsoever against whatever was creeping around in the dark.

The dark-haired boy had opened the window whilst Shouyou was still reeling with the implications of demons surrounding his house. He was already climbing out of it when Shouyou finally managed to convince his feet to move. "Kageyama, wait!"

Shouyou flung himself against the demon's back. A few of Kageyama's feathers brushed against his cheeks. They _burned_. "You can't go out there alone!"

Kageyama twisted to glare down at the red-head over his shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm more than capable of handling them on my own. I -"

Whatever he was about to say was covered up by a bright flash from outside. It wasn't quite as bright as Shouyou had seen Kageyama be, but it was sharp and piercing in the darkness. There was an accompanying rumble of thunder, loud and bold. An announcement.

Kageyama seemed almost as startled as Shouyou was, because he let the red-head practically crawl up his back so that he could look over the top of the demon's broad shoulders. His black wings twitched when Shouyou held the top of them to help himself up, but he didn't shake him off.

A short distance from his house, something was moving in the dark. A person. They weren't exactly quiet, and Shouyou wondered if his parents really would sleep through the noise or not.

Whoever it was, they were efficient. Shouyou saw a few dark smears - _Demons?_ \- lunge at them through the darkness, only to be thrown off with a satisfying thump. Each shadowy form seemed to dissolve a few moments after the stranger touched them.

An entire wall of demons gathered up out of nowhere and tried to overwhelm the figure at the same time - swarming over them in a dark mess of moving shadows. There was a yell, and then, just as suddenly as the flash of light from before, something glowing started to seep out from underneath them. A strong-looking arm broke through the top of the demons, emanating a bright, white-yellow light into the dark. The hand tightened into a fist, and almost immediately there was an overwhelming feeling of  _heat_ as it burst into flames.

The stranger was on fire. Literally.

The shadows tried to flee from the general area, peeling back from the flaming figure - but the stranger was merciless. They cut down the demons one by one, seemingly taking great delight in how each and every one of them disappeared under the force of their fire.

It was during those sharp movements that Shouyou caught sight of the wings. He shrunk back a little more behind his demon. "Kageyama..."

Kageyama's wings had settled down to a much more bearable temperature whilst they had been watching the sight before them, but they started to warm again. "It's fine. I know him."  _Don't worry_ _._

Reassured, Shouyou peeked over his shoulder again. It was hard to tell from the distance, but the angel ( _Is he even an angel?_ ) seemed to have wings that weren't nearly as white as any of the others he'd seen so far.

In that same moment, he noticed Shouyou and Kageyama. The red-head watched, wide-eyed, as the strange, flaming figure waved energetically at the two of them - completely heedless of his still-burning arms. Then the angel seemed to realise his mistake, and glanced at his hands. It took him a few flustered attempts before he managed to put out the flames.

Once all of the fire was entirely quenched, he lifted away from the ground in one, smooth movement- drawing a sharp gasp from Shouyou - wings spreading out to fan against the air. He glided through the air before landing heavily in front of the window.

Up close, the stranger was unmistakably of angelic origin. He looked strong - maybe as tall as Kuroo - with arms like he could snap Shouyou in half, even when they weren't covered in flames. Shouyou had been right about him - the angel's wings looked like they were flecked with ash.

Despite his dramatic appearance, the angel hopped towards Shouyou and Kageyama with an entirely non-threatening smile on his face. He completely ignored how Kageyama's black wings reared up defensively in the small space of the open window. The angel openly looked past the demon, staring up at Shouyou with pair of bright, bird-like yellow eyes.

"Hey hey hey! You must be Shouyou!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to get the second half (chapter 16) up as soon as possible. This weekend I'm at an anime convention though, so I wanted to get at least part up before then! (Best place to check for updates is [my Twitter](https://twitter.com/wolveshvnokings).)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tsukki, Tsukki,  _Tsukki_ \- what did I tell you about calling for help, hmm?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so a ~~rambling~~ quick announcement before the start of this chapter!
> 
> The lovely [NoWayApril](http://archiveofourown.org/users/NoWayApril/) recently contacted me about translating _deal_ into German! THANK YOU! I've never had someone ask permission for translating one of my fics before so this was all very exciting! Once the translation is up, we'll connect it to the main fic so that you'll be able to find the German translation if you so wish. They have also kindly offered to translate all of the German comments for me, so I will be able to read/reply to them!
> 
> Anyway - enjoy chapter 16! Thank you to Krissei for beta-ing again! You are wonderful!

Akiteru's sleepy face crumpled with shock as he caught sight of his brother. " _Kei!_ " He made a single step towards the younger boy, and every single demon in the hallway surged towards Akiteru like flies to honey.

That is, every demon _except_ the one that was holding Kei tightly by the neck. The blond boy's vision started to blacken around the edges, but he kicked furiously at the shadow. What was the point of having a demon if he couldn't even protect his family? His head swum as an old memory came to mind.

_"Who are you?" Kei's voice was small, like a wavering bird call. He almost didn't want to ask, but he was lost in the moment. His brother was somewhere in the background, presumably being ripped apart by demons, and all Kei could do was stare at the freckled stranger in front of him._

_He was a demon. That much was obvious from the way he blurred around the edges, and not only from Kei's suffering vision. But he was calm, and he supported the smaller boy with strong arms that kept Kei from falling to the floor in a pathetic heap. They were decorated with freckles almost as heavily as his young face. It reminded Kei of constellations._

_"That doesn't matter!" The stranger crouched in front of Kei with wide eyes. "Why are you here? There should only be one." He glanced over his shoulder, and Kei's stomach lurched with sudden remembrance._

_"Nii-chan!" He startled to struggle in the stranger's grip. "Please, my brother!"_

_The demon turned to him with a hard expression, but his eyes seemed genuinely apologetic. "I'm so sorry, there's nothing I can do. I'm not strong enough."_

_Kei's frantically beating heart stuttered and nearly stopped. "Please!" he gasped, and reached out to try and grip the front of the demon's shirt. It dissolved in his fingertips. "I'll give you anything!_ Please! _"_

_The demon's eyes sharpened. "Anything?" He seemed to consider the small boy's frame, and the look softened. "That's not something you should offer so easily."_

_Despite his worry, the words brought a frown to his face. "I know what I'm doing! You're a demon, right? Make a contract with me!"_

_The demon reeled back in surprise. "I don't think -"_

_Kei thrust a hand in front of his face. "I'll give you me! So help my brother. Help_ me _."_

_The demon's face twisted, like he was stuck between two decisions and didn't like the sound of either. Well, too bad. Kei continued to glare at him, and, eventually, he caved._

_"Deal."_

_Kei didn't flinch when the freckled stranger took his hand, but he did when the demon's other hand moved up to grasp the back of his neck. The demon sighed. "I'm sorry about this."_

_There was a sharp, burning sensation at the back of Kei's neck, like something was being branded into it. He screamed, even though his voice was already hoarse with fear._

Almost in sync, the demon let out a shrieking noise - a scream - and suddenly Kei was dropped to the floor. He gasped for breath on all fours. But,  _Akiteru -_

Just as quickly, the swarming mass of demons on top of Akiteru fell back and started to scramble away from him. His brother had been knocked back against one of the walls, and his eyes flickered worryingly. Kei reached out towards him from the floor. He wasn't quite able to say his name, instead only rasping noises coming from his throat.

"Tsukki, Tsukki,  _Tsukki_ \- what did I tell you about calling for help, hmm?" A familiar voice reached his ears. Kei glanced up, only to find Kuroo staring down at him with a disparaging expression on his face. His wings fluttered behind him and seemed to push away the darkness. "And I thought you were supposed to be the _smart_ one - where the hell is your demon?"

Kei frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but his voice was barely a weak croak.

Kuroo frowned at that. He crouched down in front of the blond haired boy and eyed his neck. "Hmm. I'm a little rusty at this, so sorry if it stings a little."

Kei flinched as the angel reached towards his neck with both hands. Kuroo gently placed them over the red marks left by the demon, his hands touching Kei skin-to-skin. The tips of his fingers brushed against Kei's contract mark, and Kei felt an indignant pulse from Yamaguchi, wherever he was. His neck began to heat up, almost uncomfortably so, but then Kuroo's hands were pulling back and Kei's throat loosened. It was such a stark contrast to how it had been before that it was borderline painful.

He cleared his throat before attempting to speak. His voice was still gravelly when he did. "Yamaguchi is outside. Akiteru -" Kei glanced to the side, and Kuroo followed the motion.

"Ah." The angel stood up and moved to hover over Kei's brother. The blond haired boy wasn't exactly happy with him being so close to Akiteru, but he couldn't deny that Kuroo had just saved his life. And his brother's. The demons had yet to move from where they had blended into the shadows of the walls - they reeled back as the angel moved, shifting away from the brightness of his wings.

Kuroo crouched in front of Akiteru, much like he had with Kei. "Hey," he waved a hand in front of his face. "Are you OK? Can you focus?" Akiteru's eyelids fluttered with the words. "Do you know where you are?"

Kei's jaw clenched with fear at his brother's lack of response, but Kuroo only frowned and placed a hand on Akiteru's forehead. There was a small, almost non-intrusive red glow from where his hand touched the other boy's skin. A few seconds later, Akiteru's eyes opened. He groaned.

"Better?" Kuroo gazed at him impassively.

Akiteru frowned, staring up at the angel like he was trying to see _through_ him. "What are _you_ doing here?" His face crumpled with bafflement, and Kei let out a relieved sigh - at least his brother's memory seemed to be working fine.

Kuroo stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his wings. "He's fine."

Akiteru eyed the motion with some confusion. He continued to watch Kuroo warily as he spoke to his brother. "Kei... what's going on?"

Of course, as soon as Kei opened his mouth to fumble out a reply, one of the shadowy demons that had been quelled by Kuroo's presence suddenly reared up again. Akiteru and Kuroo both turned to the movement, but neither of them were quick enough in their reaction. For Kei, it all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Before the demon had made even one slithering step in Kei's direction, something sharp and bright cut across his vision and stabbed it through the chest. (At least, Kei _thought_ it was its chest.) The entire mass of shadows began to collapse in on itself, some tendrils trying to pull out the sharp object, but it simply burned through them. The demon couldn't even  _touch_ it, let alone remove it.

Just as Kei was processing what he was seeing, a familiar black smoke creeped over to him and quickly solidified into a crouching Yamaguchi. The demon looked distinctly rough around the edges and altogether  _horrified_. He had several long, bleeding scratches along his cheeks and a few of his freckles seemed to be glowing. The latter could have just been Kei's imagination though.

"Tsukki! Are you all right?!" The demon leaned forward and made to grasp the blond boy's head between his hands (which were almost claw-like, Kei noted), only pulling back when he saw the state of Kei's neck. He gasped and gently ran a finger over it, yanking his hand back quickly when Kei winced uncontrollably. His throat was a lot better, but the outer skin felt _burnt_.

"I'm fine, Yamaguchi." He gave the freckled demon an uncontrollable, soft smile when he was yanked into a hug. Yamaguchi buried his face in Kei's shoulder, hand grasping desperately - but gently - at the back of his neck. The demon radiated both relief and dismay, and Kei had to physically stop himself from reaching out and clutching at the back of Yamaguchi's hair in return.

" _Sorry, Tsukki_ _._ " The unspoken words were barely a whisper.

Kei glanced at his brother and Kuroo, belatedly remembering their presence. His stomach tightened uncomfortably at the expression on his brother's face - altogether too soft and curious for Kei.

"Well," Kuroo coughed into one of his hands. He rubbed the back of his neck. "This is all _very_ touching, but I -"

The pinned shadow behind Yamaguchi screeched so loudly that Kei felt like his eardrums would burst. Akiteru even covered his ears with a pained, confused look in Kei's direction. There was no way that his parents hadn't heard  _that_.

Yamaguchi tensed under the blond's hands, lifting his head to turn back and face it directly. Kei caught a brief glimpse of his face as he moved. He'd never seen such an expression on the freckled demon before. A deep, rolling snarl left Yamaguchi's throat - vicious enough that Kei felt the aftershocks through their contract bond.  _Mine_ , it said, rippling outwards like waves crashing against a cliff. Kei's head began to reel with the intensity.

When he could focus clearly enough again, Kei was just in time to see the demon try to pull away even further from Yamaguchi. It seemed to forget that it was still impaled until the bright weapon glowed more fiercely. The light began to stung Kei's eyes just as the demon started fragmenting away into nothing. In the corners of his glasses, the blond boy noticed a few other oddly-moving shadows do the same.

After the room was cleansed of all demons except one, the room was left feeling much lighter. Not because of whatever Yamaguchi had stabbed the first demon with - the odd weapon broke and dissolved in much the same way as the demons did, until the room was cast into shadow again. But the atmosphere felt different. Less heavy, and yet somehow more so because of the way Akiteru was staring at Yamaguchi with a clenched jaw. No one spoke for several heartbeats.

Kuroo was the first one to break the silence.

" _Shit_ , kid." The angel stared at Yamaguchi like he'd never seen him before. Kei wasn't too sure, but it looked like he might have even taken a step backwards. "Where was all that fire when you first met _me_?"

* * *

"Who are you?"

The angel stuck out a steaming hand that Shouyou hesitantly took, resting his chin on Kageyama's shoulder and ignoring how the demon tried to push him back from it with his wings. The touch was warm. "Koutarou Bokuto!" He smiled, and the red-head's eyes were drawn to his unusual hair - an odd blend of grey and black streaks.

Bokuto's grasp radiated an intense kind of strength, like he knew he was stronger than Shouyou but didn't look down on him for it. His sharp, golden eyes were piercing but not invading as he looked at the red-head. To the contrary, Shouyou was immediately struck by the sensation that he would get on well with this angel, who seemed to take him at face value and didn't try to pry any deeper than his red hair.

Kageyama snorted, and Shouyou mentally drew back in on himself. He'd forgotten that it was difficult to separate himself from the demon entirely when they were touching like this. He tugged at one of the demon's closest feathers as a rebuff. A contradictory ripple of pleased displeasure hit him like a gust of warm air.

"Do you mind?" Kageyama's voice broke into his thoughts, and he fluttered his wings lightly enough to not jostle Shouyou off. But the red-head got the message.

Shouyou crawled down from the demon's back. He ducked under the dark wall of feathers so that he could see Bokuto again. The angel was still smiling.

"Um," Shouyou began, not sure of what he wanted to say. Why was the angel here? How did he know Shouyou? What had just  _happened_?

Thankfully, Bokuto interjected before he had to voice any of that. "Oh! That's right!" He seemed to concentrate for a few seconds, face falling into something more serious. His wings - the greyish ones that Shouyou planned on asking Kageyama about later - spread out like fans stretching to their uttermost limits. The angel was looking away from Shouyou whilst he frowned, but in the darkness it was easy to see how Bokuto's eyes briefly flashed a brighter, more amber glow.

Silently, like a ghosting apparition, another angel alighted on the ground. Delicately, his white wings folded away until they were almost unnoticeable. Like Bokuto, he had bare feet, but that was as far as the similarities ran. Shouyou immediately brightened, because he knew this angel.

"Kenma!" Shouyou nearly jumped over the small window ledge separating them there and then. The only thing that stopped him was how Kageyama's wing shifted closer to his body warningly.

The smaller angel blinked at him and then Kageyama. "Shouyou, Tobio." Despite the passiveness of his voice, there was a warm undertone. He glanced sideways at Bokuto and his brow furrowed. "Koutarou, I told you not to make such a dramatic entrance." He sounded tired.

Bokuto's expression went sheepish and he rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Kenma! I got too into it!"

"Still." Kenma's face twitched, like he was at the edge of annoyance. He looked back at Shouyou. "It's OK - he didn't wake up your family. Normal humans would just have thought the noise was thunder." Kenma gave Bokuto with a dry expression. "Not that Koutarou's dramatics helped."

"Hey!" Bokuto puffed out his chest, his wings emphasising the movement. "I helped  _immensely_."

Kenma's face twisted into something that Shouyou could only describe as 'ick'. " _Dramatically_."

"Why are you here?" Kageyama interrupted before it could escalate into an argument.

Bokuto opened his mouth to answer, but glanced at Kenma's irritated face and promptly shut it. Shouyou had to suppress a grin at the idea of such a bold angel being cowered by someone as non-offensive as Kenma.

"Kuro had a feeling that something might be wrong, and asked us to check up on you." Kenma's voice was mild, and Bokuto gave a bright smile in conformation of the words.

Kageyama grimaced like someone had forced him to eat an entire lemon. His wings bristled. "There was no need - I had everything under control."

Shouyou narrowed his eyes at Kageyama's tone, and Bokuto crossed his arms, looking decidedly unimpressed. Kenma only blinked up at the demon passively.

"There's nothing wrong with accepting help sometimes. One person can't do everything on their own."

Kageyama frowned at him, but didn't say anything. Shouyou thought that was probably the smartest option, but was surprised that the demon had made such a sensible decision. He was almost prepared when a black wing smacked him on the back of the head. _Mind connection. Right._

Bokuto seemed to recover some of his fire whilst Shouyou was still picking black feathers out of his hair. "Kenma, if you could cover things here, I'll go check out things at Kuroo's end." It was a carefully intoned request.

Kenma nodded, but Kageyama and Shouyou shared a glance. "Uh, is there something else going on?" the red-head questioned.

"Well, yeah! Last time Kuroo visited Tsukki -" Shouyou frowned, both at the new knowledge that Tsukishima had been in contact with the other angel and the casual use of the nickname, "- he noticed that his house smelled strongly of demons. He's been keeping a close eye on it since then."

 _Demonstink_. Shouyou looked up at Kageyama and noticed that the demon had an odd look on his face. The red-head prodded at him curiously through their mark, but was met with a sharp rebuff that had him wincing.

"Anyway," the tall angel continued, entirely heedless of their silent communication, "I'm going to make sure he's OK. And this human he's taken an interest in."

 _Tsukishima_. "I'm coming too!" The words blurted out of Shouyou's mouth before he could stop them.

Kageyama tensed next to him. "You are  _not_!"

Shouyou leaned up into the demon's personal space. "Try and stop me." He met Kageyama's narrowing gaze with a hard look of his own.

"That's easily done - you have no way of getting there on your own." The demon looked furiously triumphant.

"He can come with me." Shouyou's head whipped round at the sound of Bokuto's voice. The angel was rolling each of his shoulders and stretching his greying wings in and out in slow motions. "A small human like you - you'd be no problem to carry."

"Carry?" It took the red-head's brain a few seconds to make the connection. (He'd been too distracted by the poke at his height.) "You mean we'd  _fly_?"

Bokuto grinned and flexed his wings out fully in answer. Shouyou was already darting out of the window when Kageyama grabbed him around the waist. A clawed hand buried itself in the material of his shirt. "Idiot! What about your family, are you just going to leave them?"

The red-head paused in his struggles, guilt gnawing at his stomach.

"I'll watch them." Kenma's eyes were soft. His wings flickered. "I'd planned to anyway. They'll be safe, Shouyou."

Shouyou glanced back at Kageyama. The demon didn't look at all happy about the situation, and the red-head wasn't stupid enough to try and confront him about it right now. But there was one thing he had to ask.

"Are you coming?"

Kageyama's jaw clenched visibly. He met Shouyou's gaze evenly, and seemed to struggle for a few moments. "Fine." The demon glanced at Kenma. "But I'll meet you there. We'll clean up here first."

The small angel nodded, his face carefully blank. Shouyou would maybe have thought more on that, but he was too excited by the prospect of actual, wing-propelled  _flight_. He was about ready to jump out of the window again when he realised that Kageyama still had a tight grip on him.

"Ah, Kageyama -"

He looked up just as the demon flushed uncomfortably. Kageyama pulled back from Shouyou, feathers and all, but still offered the red-head an unnecessary hand down that had Shouyou blushing too. The smaller boy was relieved to find that his hands were just that - hands.  _Not_ the claws he'd felt digging into his stomach earlier.

_Don't take too long, OK?_

Speaking without words was a lot less embarrassing, and Kageyama seemed to appreciate that too. His eyes flickered up to Shouyou's and he squeezed his hand reassuringly before releasing it. The red-head's palm remained glowing even once they separated.

In the same breath, the demon seemed to drift back into the shadows of Shouyou's room until he couldn't be seen any more in the dark. Kenma awkwardly clambered through the window after him. If any other angel had stumbled and caught their wings on the window frame like he did, Shouyou would have had to suppress a laugh. On Kenma, however, it was endearing.

"Are you ready then?" Bokuto's grey-flecked wings twitched impatiently, but there was an easygoing grin on his face.

Shouyou's eyes lit up. "Yes! _Yes_ \- I want to _fly_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you thought of the past few chapters! I was kind of nervous about writing action-y scenes, so it'd be nice to know what you guys thought of them. (Commenting makes me update faster as well, because then I get motivated about writing!)
> 
> My schedule is still ridiculously busy until the end of next week. I really would like to post a chapter around next weekend, but I might not be able to get one up in time. I guess this chapter is technically a week early so hopefully that makes up for the next one possibly being delayed.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Kei, what have you gotten yourself mixed up in?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get this chapter up this week, _buuut_ here we are. I'm still not sure if I'm satisfied with it - out of the most recent chapters, this was the one that was the most difficult to write. So please let me know what you guys think!
> 
> Beta'd by the lovely Krissei.

Akiteru stared unfailingly at Yamaguchi as he helped his younger brother settle in their kitchen. (Kei had insisted that he didn't need the support, but after he'd nearly fallen over again straight after standing up, the demon had been relentless in his assistance.) Kei had no idea what was going through his brother's head, and that scared him. He didn't know where to start, so he avoided Akiteru's gaze as Yamaguchi helped him into a chair. The demon chose to stand instead - hovering protectively behind Kei's back.

It was both comforting and unsettling - the latter being because of how Akiteru continued to eye Yamaguchi warily.

Thankfully, Kuroo chose that moment to return. He was confident in his movements, but gently slid the door shut behind himself. His large wings seemed to take up most of the room, though Kei knew, logically, that was impossible.

"The hallway is completely clear now. And your parents are still sleeping." He grinned at Kei, but the blond boy could see how the sweat dripped from his forehead. One of the angel's hands trembled almost imperceptibly. "I have no idea how though. Maybe the sheer number of demons blocked out everything else - I've never seen anything like that before."

Kei turned to his brother, awaiting the inevitable. Behind him, Yamaguchi carefully laid a single hand on Kei's shoulder - just barely maintaining skin contact at the edge of his nightshirt. The demon radiated tension, but inwardly he was like the calm before - or after - a storm. Kei felt his shoulders lose some of their stiffness even as Akiteru's calm expression twitched.

"Where do you want to start?" Kei's brother crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. He was always so much more calm than Kei ever was. Even after being attacked by  _a lot_ more demons than his younger brother, Akiteru still seemed entirely in control of himself.

Kei would have crumbled under his expression if not for the calm Yamaguchi was giving him. As it was, he managed to keep a fairly neutral expression as he spoke.

"This is Yamaguchi - my demon." Kei carefully enunciated the last two words. He felt Yamaguchi bow behind him and ignored how his brother's eyes widened. The blond boy gestured to Kuroo, who remained standing by the door. "And that's Kuroo. An angel."

Akiteru's head snapped over to the black haired boy, who gazed back at him with a sly smile.

"Kei," his brother sounded exasperated, "You know I can accept... Yamaguchi, was it? But don't expect me to believe -"

Kuroo was subtle, Kei gave him that. The blond boy couldn't quite understand his confusion, because Kuroo's wings were  _right there_ , and the distinctive whiteness couldn't be mistaken for anything _but_ angelic. Akiteru flinched visibly as Kuroo began to glow a faint red - not overly dramatic in the barely-lit room. The angel flexed his wings outwards as a faint burning smell began to assault Kei's nostrils, and Akiteru stared at the black haired boy with wide eyes.

It suddenly hit Kei that Akiteru might not have been able to see his wings before. And, well, Kuroo's personality wasn't exactly what you'd expect from an angel. Behind him, Yamaguchi conveyed his agreement.

" _Angels don't always hide themselves, but they_  do _usually hide their wings._ "

Akiteru looked at a loss for words. He gazed at Kei with a mix of wonder and fear in his eyes. "Kei, what have you gotten yourself mixed up in?"

* * *

Shouyou held back as much of his excitement as he was able, but he was only partly successful. More than a few excited gasps escaped him as he clung to Bokuto's back. The angel didn't seem to mind, despite how close Shouyou's mouth was to his ears. In fact, he let out an excited _woop_ of his own to match every one of the red-head's.

The wind rushed passed them at an incredible speed, almost deafening Shouyou's ears. Yet he got the impression that the angel could actually fly a lot faster.

Wedged between Bokuto's wings, with his arms tightly around his neck, the red-head knew that he probably wasn't the safest he could be during such a rapid flight. (Kageyama would probably kill Shouyou himself if he found out. _And_ if he didn't fall to his death accidentally anyway.) But Bokuto radiated strength and surety. Shouyou had no doubt that the angel would catch him if he somehow slipped, and that made his heartbeat stutter even faster.

Bokuto had taken them up to a very high altitude - just below where Shouyou thought he might have started to feel a little light-headed and dizzy. The journey itself didn't take long, not with the flight taking such a direct route to Tsukishima's house. It was long enough for Shouyou's stomach to twist into excited knots. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to even feel his legs once they landed.

The angel slowed to a more reasonable pace as they neared the familiar neighbourhood. Shouyou's eyes were watering from both the cold and the wind, but he thought that he could make out what might have been the roof to Tsukishima's house in the distance.

"Still OK back there?" Bokuto called to him as he began to settle into a less horizontal decent. Shouyou felt his arms begin to twinge with the exertion of clinging onto Bokuto for so long. The angel maneuvered his arms around the red-head's legs in response, helping to support some of his weight as he had during the take-off.

"Yes!" Shouyou responded a little too loudly, and Bokuto chuckled. "I wish I could do this all the time!" _With Kageyama._

Something in Shouyou twinged with pain. He couldn't tell if the source was himself or Kageyama, far away as he was.

Unknowing of his dampening feelings, the angel chuckled loudly. The laugh resounded in Shouyou's chest. "Well, I'll be sure to teach you if you ever grow a pair of wings!"

They alighted softly a small distance away from Tsukishima's house, in a small space between two houses. The red-head hadn't expected such a gentle landing, and didn't doubt that it was for his sake. Bokuto stumbled as his feet touched the ground, but Shouyou barely noticed. His mind had started to wander as the adrenaline began to wear off.

"I hope Kenma will be OK once Kageyama leaves."

The angel let him drop down from his back before glancing at Shouyou, a curious look in his eyes. He seemed amused. "You've... never seen Kenma fight, have you?"

Shouyou hesitated before answering. Bokuto's golden eyes were piercing - they were too much like Kenma's and yet not at all. Shouyou sensed he was missing something. "...No?"

"Exactly." Bokuto stretched out his wings one last time before folding them away neatly. He strode out from between the two houses, heading in the general direction of Tsukishima's house. "No one fights Kenma."

And that was that, apparently.

* * *

Tadashi almost felt the extra presence before Kuroo reacted. He wasn't sure if anyone else in the room noticed when the angel's aura briefly flickered into a paler, more golden colour from the red it had been previously. Tadashi noticed though. He always noticed.

"Bokuto's here." Kuroo pushed away from the wall he was leaning against, moving past Akiteru and towards the nearest door - into the garden. Tsukki's brother tracked the movement with his eyes until he was unable to. Then he breathed out heavily, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

Underneath his hand, Tsukki's shoulders tensed. " _He doesn't seem happy._ "

_"I don't think anyone would be happy in this kind of a situation, Tsukki."_

"How did you get a demon, Kei?" Akiteru's voice interrupted their silent conversation. He spoke quietly, as though speaking more softly made the question less intrusive. "Do you... have a contract?"

Tsukki glanced back at Tadashi, and the demon shrugged. They had both ran away from this discussion for years. It was about time Tsukki filled his brother in.

Tadashi moved back in surprise as Tsukki began to stand up, sighing and pushing his glasses back up his nose. "We made a contract, on... that day." He turned around, and Tadashi realised he was trying to show his brother their contract mark. Akiteru looked confused, so the demon moved a little closer and pressed a single finger to Tsukki's neck. It lit up as brightly as it had when he'd first branded the design into Tsukki as a child. The light reflected in Akiteru's eyes.

The older boy sucked in a breath, opening his mouth to say something, but Tsukki and Tadashi cut him off by speaking simultaneously. Tadashi, because he actually saw, and Tsukki because he felt the demon's surprise.

" _Hinata_?"

Tsukki turned around to see the red-head as he trotted in behind Kuroo and a much more robust-looking angel. Hinata was still in his pyjamas, barefoot but with a determined expression on his face.

Tadashi felt Tsukki's grumbling vexation with Hinata's unexpected appearance, but - beneath that - his mind was tinged with relief. The demon smiled to himself and wondered what the tiny red-head would say if he knew. He had to bite back a laugh as Tsukki's, " _Don't even think about it_ ," firmly nipped that train of thought in the bud.

"Why are you here?" Tsukki's voice barely betrayed any of the curiosity that was rippling through him. "And without the _King_."

Hinata bristled at the sneer in the blond boy's tone. His hands tightened into defensive fists at his sides, and the red-head stretched upwards to stand on his tiptoes. (Tadashi wondered if that was Hinata's instinctual attempt to make himself appear taller and more threatening.)

"Kageyama is -" Hinata's words trailed off into a strangled noise as he took in Akiteru's presence in the room. The red-head's eyes widened comically.

Whilst Hinata made a stuttered attempt at an introduction - despite having already met Tsukki's older brother - Tadashi's attention shifted to the two angels. They had been conspicuously quiet ever since returning to the room. Or, in the new angel's case, entering for the first time.

The newcomer was whispering excitedly into Kuroo's ear, making grand gestures with his arms and wings at every opportunity. Kuroo nodded and gave the other angel - if it was fair to call him that, with those distinctly greying wings - a sly smile whilst patting him on the back. The new angel appeared pleased, and his wings twitched and quivered. He beamed brightly, and didn't dim in the slightest when he noticed Tadashi's careful assessment of him.

The freckled demon felt like he should know this angel, but he couldn't say why. They had definitely never met one another before. It made his back itch with unease.

When Tadashi turned back, Akiteru seemed about ready to keel over with information overload. Despite that, he tried to calm a flustered Hinata. "It's nice to meet you - again - Hinata." Akiteru smiled reassuringly, before turning back to face his brother. The look he gave Tsukki clearly conveyed  _just how many people are involved in all of this?_

Internally, Tsukki wilted under his older brother's gaze. Tadashi dug his nails into the blond boy's shoulder in warning. He wouldn't accept any self-reprimanding from his contractee for things that were _definitely_ outside of his control. Hinata had made his _own_ decision to try and summon a demon. Even Tadashi hadn't predicted _that_.

"Well now that the gang's all here -  _nearly_ ," Kuroo added, at Hinata's sharp frown, "Maybe we could start getting into things. Bokuto, if you would?" 

At his side, the other angel nodded, crossing his arms. Tadashi noted the barely-contained strength that was expressed in that simple movement. Bokuto's disturbingly yellow, bird-like eyes focused on Akiteru.

" _You_ have an unresolved demon contract."

Akiteru paled. "What?"

At least, that was what Tadashi  _thought_ he said. His words were all but drowned out by the surprised squawk that came from Hinata's general direction. The sound was loud.  _Too_ loud.

Tadashi bit back a groan as Tsukki shot the red-head an incensed glare, his thoughts immediately shifting to his parents. Kuroo and the other angel took one look at each other before promptly disappearing - from Tsukki's perspective, at least. Tadashi felt the shift, but he could still see them clearly.

In contrast to Tsukki's rising tension, Akiteru's pale face was calm. He did, however, shoot Hinata a concerned glance.

The red-head looked at a loss over what to do, and quivered in place with a hand hovering near his mouth. He seemed rooted to the spot. Tadashi was still trying to figure out how Hinata could be hidden from Tsukki's parents when the red-head vanished with a muffled yelp.

* * *

Shouyou fought wildly against the hand that covered his mouth, even though he was dimly aware of its familiarity. He felt the distinct sensation of being shoved under a blanket unwillingly, even though that definitely wasn't what was happening.

" _Dumbass - stop fighting me!_ " Kageyama's gruff voice echoed in his head. The demon sounded exasperated but Shouyou felt his reluctant approval of how much he had resisted being 'captured'. " _How do you manage to get into so much trouble every time we separate?_ "

" _I made a mistake, OK!_ "

Kageyama didn't move his hand away from Shouyou's mouth, so the red-head tilted his head back to glare up at him. His hair brushed against the demon's chest with the movement, and Kageyama's heartbeat echoed in his ears. The taller boy breathed out heavily through his nose, and the small whuff of air brushed against Shouyou's forehead. Kageyama's black wings and the general heat that always accompanied his presence felt almost stifling, but that didn't stop the red-head from feeling relief at his sudden arrival.

He was still annoying though.

The demon rolled his eyes at Shouyou's waves of indignation, so the red-head dug his nails into Kageyama's muffling hand in retaliation. Both of the demon's black wings twitched.

" _Oi, stop that. I'm trying to hide us here._ "

Shouyou let his grip loosen, but kept both of his hands on top of Kageyama's. He glanced back at the rest of the room, and realised that he was indeed hidden from sight - if Yamaguchi and Tsukishima's older brother's surprised and baffled expressions were anything to go by. Tsukishima looked pretty much as he always did. He sat down again, unfazed.

Kageyama stiffened as the door to the kitchen opened. A sleepy face appeared, bearing too much similarity to Tsukishima sans glasses to be anyone other than his mother.

"Kei, Akiteru - what are you two doing up?" She rubbed her eyes. Her blond hair stuck up at one side, like it had been pressed against a pillow only moments before. Shouyou knew it probably had been. "It's late."

Both brothers glanced at each other, but Akiteru was the one to speak up first. His voice came out a lot smoother than his ruffled appearance. "Kei had a nightmare. We're just having a chat until he feels calm enough to sleep again."

Shouyou smiled at the way one of Tsukishima's pale eyebrows twitched at his brother's words. Then Yamaguchi bent down to whisper something in his ear, and the blond boy's expression smoothed over, like a stagnant pool of water. Slowly, one of Tsukishima's hands rose to nonchalantly scratch at his neck. It stayed there.

The red-head frowned. What was he hiding? Shouyou hadn't noticed anything when he'd arrived, but the room _was_ dimly lit. He felt a similar confusion from Kageyama.

Whatever it was, Tsukishima's mother didn't seem to notice. "OK," she yawned, barely covering it with a hand. "As long as you're all right, Kei?"

Tsukishima nodded, and that seemed to be enough to put her at ease. She left the room with a soft, 'Don't stay up too late."

Both Tsukishima brothers visibly relaxed once the door was firmly shut again.

A few heartbeats later, Bokuto let out a cheerful, "Well that was fun." The angel stretched his arms above his head, easing off his muscles as though hiding had been an effort for him. Kuroo nudged him reprimandingly in the armpit with the edge of a white wing.

Still, Kageyama made no move to release Shouyou from his grip. The red-head made his discomfort known to the dark-haired boy - and was promptly ignored. So, Shouyou did the only logical thing, and licked his hand.

The demon shoved him away with a barely suppressed curse, and the others in the room jumped with Shouyou's sudden reappearance.

"Ugh! What the hell?" Kageyama's voice was hushed, but riddled with disgust. He stared at the hand Shouyou had licked as though it had done him a personal wrong. His wings had even reared up defensively. When he did meet Shouyou's eyes, his face was flushed with irritation or maybe even embarrassment. (With Kageyama, the two often came hand in hand.) "Why did you  _lick_ me?"

Shouyou glowered at the stupidity of the question. "I wanted you to let me go!"

"You could have just  _asked_ -" Kageyama's voice was full of indignation. The demon moved closer so that he was almost hovering over the red-head.

Shouyou resented the fact that he had to look up at him during their squabbling. "I  _did_ \- you  _ignored_ me!" His mark began to flicker into life.

Tsukishima's bored sigh tore both of them away from their whispered argument. He turned to his brother and spoke with a flat tone. "Don't worry, nii-chan. Just two idiots doing what they do best." Behind Tsukishima, Yamaguchi snickered.

Shouyou flushed, head darting round to face the blond. "Sh-shut up, Stingyshima!"

Kageyama, for once, seemed content with merely narrowing his eyes at the blond boy. Shouyou glanced back at him surprise. He could feel a bubbling depth of annoyance coming from Kageyama, but the demon hid it well as he surreptitiously wiped his hand on his side.

Tsukishima still noticed the gesture, unfortunately. He raised both eyebrows behind his glasses, a satisfied smile appearing on his face as Kageyama's irritation sharpened into vehement dislike.

Shouyou was left wincing at the echoed prickles of heat that darted up his arm. If they had been alone, he would have yanked one of Kageyama's wings to get his attention. But he knew that the dark haired boy would probably just avoid his touch whilst Tsukishima was around.

Kuroo and Bokuto remained quiet during the exchange. The grey-flecked angel in particular seemed taken aback. His head whipped back and forth between Kageyama and Tsukishima, until he turned to Kuroo and raised an eyebrow. "He's a little rude, don't you think?"

The taller angel bit back a bark of laughter, covering his mouth with a hand as Tsukishima's cool gaze settled on him. His voice was still full of mirth when he spoke.

“Like Bokuto was _trying_ to say earlier.” Kuroo's dark eyes focused on Tsukishima’s brother again, and his voice fell flat. The very atmosphere of the room seemed get heavier as he crossed his arms. “You’re the one that attracted the demons.”

Tsukishima opened his mouth as though he wanted to argue, but Kuroo cut him off with a sharp look.

“I noticed it the first time I came here. There’s something about you that’s drawing them in.” The dark haired angel nodded in Bokuto’s direction. “Probably an unresolved contract.”

“That’s -”

“Probably right,” Akiteru cut his brother off. He sighed, and leaned back in his seat to rub the heels of both hands into his eyes. When he lowered them, he seemed even more tired than before. “Don’t you remember, Kei? It _was_ me that tried to summon something. I just didn’t think it had worked - not the way I intended, anyway.”

Tsukishima’s older brother smiled, but it was tinged with bitterness. Even Tsukishima looked like someone had forced something unpleasant under his nose. Yamaguchi’s hand shifted ever so slightly on his shoulder, and that seemed to draw some of the tension away from the blond boy’s posture.

Shouyou’s breath suddenly caught in his throat, and he felt Kageyama’s attention settle on him questioningly. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but Yamaguchi’s movement had drawn his attention back to Tsukishima’s neck. It was red - only a few shades lighter than a burn, but still very much raw looking - even if it was difficult to make out in the dark room.

It looked like someone had tried to strangle Tsukishima.

The red-head turned to meet Kageyama’s gaze, swallowing. The demon seemed to catch at least some of Shouyou’s thoughts, because his eyes flickered to the blond boy’s neck with a frown. Unease began to seep out from the demon in prickling swirls of heat. Obviously, he hadn’t noticed either.

“That shouldn’t really have been a problem though,” Bokuto’s forceful voice continued in the silence left between Tsukishima and his brother. He scratched at one of his shoulders, and the corresponding wing stretched out too. “Well, I guess it’s not often that humans _survive_ a failed summoning -” (both Tsukishima and his brother flinched at that, as did Yamaguchi) “- but it usually isn’t enough on its own to attract an entire _swarm_ of demons either. You must be really unlucky.” The last part was said with a grin utterly at odds with the words.

“Now, now,” Kuroo interjected smoothly before Tsukishima’s expression could settle into full-blown anger. One of his wings spread out in front of Bokuto’s face, acting like a curtain separating him from the blond boy. “Let’s not focus on the _cause_ , but what can be done to _resolve_ it.”

“ _Can_ anything be done?” Akiteru’s looked like he’d swallowed a frog by accident.

Kuroo scratched the back of his head, ignoring how Bokuto pawed at his wing to try and move it out of his face. “ _Well_ , I have a few ideas, but…” He sighed, and his wing finally fell. “To be honest, Kenma is a lot better at this sort of thing.”

An odd emotion started to emanate from Kageyama, and the demon shifted in place. His dark wings seemed to hunch over his shoulders as he stared at Tsukishima.

Shouyou turned his palm over so that he could glance at his mark. It was burning brightly - their connection was strong - but the red-head couldn’t make sense of anything he was feeling from the demon.

“Kageyama?” Shouyou didn’t mean to call to him out loud, but the demon’s name slipped out before he was even aware of it. Even though his voice had been soft, in the heavy silence of the room Shouyou may as well have shouted. Everyone’s attention shifted to Kageyama.

The dark haired boy faced him with a glare, but Shouyou knew it wasn’t directed at him. If anything, the heated emotions he could feel from Kageyama were aimed at _himself_.

Kageyama’s blue eyes roved over Shouyou’s face, his expression smoothing over into something less aggressive. When he finally looked away, their connection had flattened into nothing but a faint tickle of their sharing earlier in the night. Shouyou didn’t like it - the lack of feeling from the demon reminded him that Kageyama was still keeping things from him.

He had to remind himself that Kageyama was _allowed_ to keep things from him. _Some_ things. Even if he didn’t like it.

The demon breathed in slowly, steeling himself before he spoke. His eyes flickered between everyone in the room. “I’m not sure what could be done.” Kageyama's words and tone were careful, as cautious as Shouyou had ever heard him be. “But…”

Kageyama’s nose wrinkled, as though his next words pained him. (Certainly, Shouyou got a very clear sensation of how difficult it was for him to utter them.) The demon's gaze settled on Tsukishima. “...Maybe I could do something about your neck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of marks the end of the first arc of the story. I know what happens in the next arc, but I need to sit and write it all out into one outline. I may take a slight delay to plan things out, but hopefully not!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That’s really impressive, Shouyou!” He leaned down to ruffle the red-head’s hair affectionately. “Can you reach out to Kageyama as well?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO SORRY for the delay on this one, guys. Basically I've been really busy over the past few weeks, but I also just couldn't get into the swing of writing this chapter. (A moment of self-doubt in my writing.) This chapter is fairly long though so hopefully that makes up for the delay!
> 
> Also, thank you so much to everyone that has left kudos/comments/bookmarks/subscribed so far! I never expected such a warm reception when I posted the first chapter (which was initially just a one-shot). It means a lot to me that people are enjoying this AU, and keeps me going when it comes to writing it.
> 
> Anyway, there's a short timeskip at the beginning of this chapter, just as a heads up.
> 
> Beta'd, as always, by the lovely Krissei.

Tadashi sighed from where he sat on the rooftop. It gave him a sense of nostalgia, sitting alone at the top of a high place like that. Tsukki was prone to having him observe from a distance - except recently - so he’d found himself in similar situations before.

That wasn’t the only reason though. The light breeze that stroked through his hair brought back the edges of an even older memory, with the wind tousling feathers too.

The demon shivered. He could still feel how his wings would have ruffled with the movement, how each white feather would have raised and fallen under the air’s smooth caress.

His back twinged. It didn’t do him any good to dwell on such things. That part of his life had already passed.

Tadashi fidgeted in place and shifted to lean on his other leg instead. The thick sweater he’d chosen to appear with today made his back itch in odd places, but his mind was too far away to care. Only a few days had passed since the convergence of demons at Tsukki’s house, but Tadashi already felt a tedious weariness from being this far apart from his contractee.

The night had ended smoothly after the confrontation, with Kuroo being the one to suggest that the angels help them out a little. Bokuto had agreed amicably, and Tadashi had felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Angels made him wary.

“You’ll need someone to watch over your brother, of course,” Kuroo had noted with a slight twitch of his white feathers. “We still don’t have a permanent solution, so there’s a chance demons could still try to sneak up on him.”

Annoyingly enough, the words had been uttered without any inflection - so Tadashi still had no idea what the angel’s angle was. He’d seemed entirely sincere, on the surface, at least.

Tsukki, evidently, had felt the same. His shoulders had twitched in a way that let Tadashi know the blond boy had been struggling not to look back at him. Tsukki’s idea had begun to spill over before he even made it a cohesive string of words, and Tadashi had tried to hold back how displeased he was by the suggestion. Tsukki’s swirling thoughts always made a convincing argument, after all.

“ _Will you?_ ” The fact that he had asked at _all_ meant a lot to the demon.

“ _If you want me to._ ” Because Tadashi would - and not just because of their contract. Tsukki knew that.

The blond boy had crossed his arms then, and only Tadashi could feel how he mentally sagged with relief. “Yamaguchi will watch him.”

Akiteru’s eyes had snapped to meet Tadashi’s, before quickly darting to his brother’s. He’d seemed a little twitchy, which was understandable given everything that had just happened. “Honestly, Kei, that’s really not necessary -”

“It is.” Tsukki had spoken over him quietly with a smooth, cutting voice. “Please.”

The last word had been aimed not just at his brother, but Tadashi too. The demon could still remember how the echoes of it had washed over him.

That he had been entrusted with watching over Akiteru for Tsukki was both a great compliment and a heavy burden.

Sighing again, Tadashi shook his head and forced his eyes to focus across the distance to where Akiteru was sat in his office. The taller boy was so similar to Tsukki, and yet not at all. Warmth seemed to come more easily to his face, and Tadashi watched with more than a little curiosity as he laughed at something one of his coworkers said. _Would Tsukki look like that if he smiled more often?_

Not that Tadashi would ever want Tsukki to be anything other than how he was. Akiteru might have made an easier contractee - and the traitorous part of the demon had considered it more than once over the years - but Tadashi knew Tsukki inside and out.

He was still eternally glad that a young Tsukki had all but forced him into a contract all those years ago.

* * *

Someone nudged Shouyou on the shoulder, and he was startled back into awareness of the classroom.

It was becoming too easy for his mind to drift away when Kageyama wasn’t with him. Normally, Shouyou would have to deal with the burning attention provided by the demon on days when he preferred to sit in on lessons too. Even if the red-head did tune out whatever his teacher was talking about, the weight of Kageyama’s nearby presence was like a warm flame keeping him firmly grounded in the presence.

Without it, everything felt a little chillier.

The bell rang to signal the end of class, and Shouyou stretched in his seat. Next to him, Kenma stirred too, as though awaking from a long slumber (even though the red-head knew he had been the one to prod him with one of his wings). He seemed a little fuzzy around the edges, and the blond parts of his hair stuck up at odd angles until he shook his head to resettle it.

Shouyou, of course, noticed all of this in the shortest of glances. He’d already been mocked by enough of his teammates - _especially_ Tsukishima - to know that nothing good would come of ‘staring into space’.

The small angel wasn’t at all fazed by the way Shouyou ignored him in favour of standing up and leaving the classroom. But, unlike with Kageyama - who he was often irritated with anyway - guilt gnawed the red-head’s stomach every time he ignored Kenma. It felt odd to walk with him through the hallways and not speak, especially as the angel had also donned the same school uniform as everyone else.

Shouyou didn’t really understand why each of the angels had done that - the only one that could see Kenma was Shouyou, and the uniform made him more prone to accidental slip-ups of almost talking to the invisible angel. (Kenma looked far too much like a typical student, even with his gleaming wings.) But if it made Kenma feel more settled, Shouyou wouldn’t argue with that.

They had already stepped outside - Kenma traipsing behind him like a tentative shadow - and were a good distance away from anyone else before the small angel spoke up.

“Where are you going?” His voice barely tipped the scales to the side of curiosity.

Quickly double-checking his surroundings, the red-head turned to Kenma with a bright grin on his face. “Somewhere we can talk freely, Kenma! I don’t want you to have to sit in silence the entire time you’re here.”

The angel blinked at Shouyou, his pale wings shifting awkwardly. Kenma’s voice was small. “It’s fine, Shouyou.”

He didn’t offer anything else, but the red-head understood. Kenma probably _was_ completely fine with remaining an unobtrusive part of the background. Even if _he_ was OK with it, that didn’t mean Shouyou was though.

Shouyou picked a familiar tree and threw himself down onto the grassy shade in front of it. “I want to talk to you though! You’re a lot more relaxing to be around than Kageyama is.” The red-head frowned at the memory of the demon lurking under the branches with him as well.

Kageyama hadn’t understood Shouyou’s ‘ _obsession_ ’ (in the demon’s own words) with wanting to spend so much time in the sunlight. So Shouyou had sprawled himself out in a shadier part under the tree, and tugged at one of Kageyama’s ankles - ignoring how he tried to kick Shouyou’s face in retaliation - until he had sat down with him.

“Sunlight’s good for you, you know.” He’d grinned up at the moody demon, taking delight in how his mark had sparked at the same time Kageyama’s cheeks flushed a dark red. Wisely, the red-head had chosen to ignore how ruffled the demon’s black feathers had gone, giving him the space to recover himself.

Shouyou had, however, admired the faint glow that came from his mark - barely visible in the shade - and the warmth that seemed to blossom from it under his attention.

He and Kageyama had passed the remainder of lunch time together like that.

A faint, floral smell drifted through the air as Kenma settled himself on the ground much more carefully. His wings seemed to relax and spread out a little as he sat down next to Shouyou. The red-head stared at them - so bright in the sunlight in comparison to Kageyama’s black feathers - and almost missed the faint blush that was on Kenma’s face. The angel lifted one wing to brush his feathers against Shouyou’s nose.

“Hey!” The red-head batted the wing away as he sneezed. “That tickles!”

“It’s rude to stare, you know.” The angel sounded amused despite the reprimand. He offered Shouyou a small smile that was quickly hidden behind his curtain of hair as the red-head returned it tenfold.

“Oh, it’s you two!” A booming voice from above caused Shouyou to flinch, and the smell of flowers abruptly disappeared.

The red-head’s neck snapped upwards just as a large mass fell from the branches. Shouyou let out a startled noise as Bokuto dropped to the ground in a mess of greying feathers and twigs.

“I wasn’t sure at first!” The angel shook himself free of the remnants of the tree, but a few stray leaves remained in his hair as he spoke. “Not many humans come this far out, and the ones that do -”

“ _Bokuto._ ” The taller boy’s golden gaze swivelled round to Kenma as he gave him a flat look. “Why are you out here on your own?”

Bokuto hunched over dejectedly, wings drooping. “Well, I was hanging around in Tsukki’s class with Kuroo, but then I nearly knocked something off of Tsukki’s desk by accident and he gave me this _look_ and Kuroo -”

Shouyou tuned out the taller angel’s ramblings - he knew that look from Tsukishima as well, the one that promised _physical bodily harm_ \- his heart still pounding in his chest. As used as he was to Kageyama’s comings and goings, Shouyou’s demon never dropped from the sky as suddenly as Bokuto just had. Kageyama was much more subtle than that.

And he didn’t fly either.

As though sensing the shift in his thoughts, Shouyou’s mark thrummed into life as he felt a questioning brush of thought from Kageyama. Their bond wasn’t as clear when they were separated such a distance, but the red-head found he could still sense Kageyama’s consciousness if he focused in the same way Kenma had instructed him that first time.

Concentrating, Shouyou did his best to think of the situation he was in, along with a general feeling of _everything is fine_. It was still odd for him to talk to Kageyama without words, but they seemed to be able to understand each other well enough. He let his mind drift to the image of a disgruntled owl falling out of a tree.

In return he received a jarring sensation that _might_ have been a snort of laughter from the demon, but before he could begin to decipher it, Kageyama sent him a very clear image of a little girl with red-hair. _Natsu._

Her name was little more than tiny wash of a wave at the tides of his thoughts, but hearing Kageyama’s voice - soft, but clear - made Shouyou shiver. He felt a lot better with the demon watching over his little sister, even if the chances of something happening to her were very slim. Unlike Tsukishima’s older brother, _Natsu_ hadn’t tried to make a demon contract and failed. She was probably safe.

Shouyou was just about to say something back to Kageyama when Kenma’s gentle voice pulled him back into reality.

“Shouyou.” At the sound of his name, the red-head’s tentative link to Kageyama snapped back to its usual resting state. His mark flickered orange and red before settling into a much more dimmed glow.

“Sorry - what?” Shouyou felt more than a little dazed. Kenma and Bokuto were staring at him. The taller angel had his arms crossed over his black uniform, and remaining standing between Shouyou and the seated angel.

“Were you talking to Kageyama?” Bokuto cocked his head to one side. That, along with his large wings and yellow eyes, gave Shouyou the impression that he was being assessed by a curious bird of prey.

Shouyou paused, stuck between Bokuto’s sharp look and Kenma’s quietly inquisitive one. “Yeah, I guess? Kageyama isn’t very clear though. Most of the time he just sends images instead of words when we’re this far apart.”

Bokuto opened his mouth to speak, before his eyes flashed oddly and he glanced back at Kenma instead. Kenma’s face remained expressionless, but he shot the other angel a pointed look, his white wings oddly still.

When the other angel turned back to Shouyou, the smile on his face was genuine, but more subdued. “That’s really impressive, Shouyou!” He leaned down to ruffle the red-head’s hair affectionately. “Can you reach out to Kageyama as well?”

Shouyou opened his mouth to reply, but Kenma spoke up first. “He tries to do it all the time.”

The red-head blinked at the small angel, not really understanding what he meant. Kenma continued.

“Whenever you stop paying attention in class, you think about Tobio and your thoughts start spilling over the edges when you try to talk to him.” Kenma looked away. He seemed uncomfortable about having to point it out.

Shouyou felt colour start to rise in his cheeks. What had he _heard_?

“Really?” Bokuto’s hooting voice interrupted. He scratched absently at the edge of one of his wings. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Kenma frowned at him. “He’s not as loud as you are. When you and Kuro talk to one another from a distance, it feels like an oncoming storm. _Everyone_ hears it.”

Bokuto shrugged, nonplussed, the movement causing a lift of grey-flecked feathers as well. Shouyou understood why. He seemed like the kind of angel that had nothing to hide.

Shouyou, on the other hand, didn’t like to think that others could hear each and every thing that passed between him and Kageyama. Especially if he was leaking thoughts uncontrollably. He thought he’d gotten better at preventing that, at least between himself and Kageyama. “Um, do you hear us all the time?”

Kenma blinked at him. “Not really. Just when I’m nearby, I can tell when you two are communicating. There’s a… warmness in the air.”

 _Oh._ Shouyou flushed. They would need to work on that.

One of Kenma’s wings stretched over to close the distance between them. The tips of his white feathers gently touched Shouyou’s cheek. “Don’t worry about it. You just need practice.” His golden eyes flickered up pointedly to Bokuto. “Some people never learn.”

* * *

Kei was really starting to get sick of anything and everything and every _one_ that had wings and decided to bother him. On his way to school, he’d even glared at a passing crow just for flying over his head.

Kuroo, for an angel, was bearable. He was a lot more nosey and considerably more irritating than Yamaguchi, but he gave Kei space when it was obvious he was about to snap, and mostly kept out of the blond boy’s line of sight during the day. He was _bearable_.

Bokuto, on the other hand, was _not_.

When the two of them were together, it was like Kei had birds on each shoulder that insisted on bickering with one another. _Constantly_.

It might as well have been that, when they started arguing over the solution to a maths problem in the middle of Kei’s classroom (both of them were wrong) that nearly resulted in half of Kei’s desk being thrown onto the floor.

He hadn’t said anything - Kei had more self-restraint than that. But it had pushed him to his limits. He’d breathed out heavily through his nose, and given both angels the briefest of glances to let them know just how dark his current mood was.

Bokuto had flinched back, but Kuroo had only barked out a laugh. It had echoed through the silent classroom oddly. “Maybe you should get out of here, Bokuto. I think Tsukki’s at his limit.”

The other angel had narrowed his eyes at Kuroo, and seemed ready to continue their argument, but then caught sight of Kei’s hand tightening around his pencil.

“OK, OK, _fine_.” Bokuto had grumbled, finally disappearing with a subdued rumble of air.

Kei had relaxed slightly, feeling some of the pressure of the room leave along with the angel. Kuroo, however, had remained, but seemingly decided to give the blond boy a break as well. He’d disappeared from Kei’s sight, but he knew the dark haired angel was still lurking nearby.

The bell for lunch sounded, and Kei set down his pencil with deliberate slowness. As most of his classmates left to get food, the blond reached to scratch at his neck instead. Even with Hinata’s demon glamouring the wound to hide it, Kei’s skin was still irritated.

_“...Maybe I could do something about your neck.”_

Such an offer from Kageyama had come as a shock to Kei, but after considering it, it made sense. The demon wouldn’t want any extra attention drawn to Hinata, and, by extension, anyone that spent any considerable about of time with the red-head either. An obvious injury like the one around Kei’s neck would have brought forth too many unwanted questions.

It wasn’t a selfless move on the demon’s part, Kei was sure of that. Even if Yamaguchi had tried to convince him that _Kageyama isn’t all that bad_.

“You should probably get Suga to finish healing it properly, if it bothers you that much.”

It took every single one of Kei’s muscles tensing to stop him from flinching away violently when Kuroo breathed down his neck. Kei hadn’t even noticed him reappear. He was becoming lax without Yamaguchi around.

Yamaguchi, with his easy freckled smile, who he’d told to go look after his brother, and couldn’t even _feel_ any more. It made Kei _very_ aware of the empty part of his subconscious that the demon’s presence normally occupied.

Ignoring Kuroo, Kei pushed away from his desk and lifted the headphones from his bag to hang around his neck. His neck prickled uneasily as the angel hovered over it. He felt even more exposed than normal, _especially_ without Yamaguchi around.

Kuroo shifted round to the blond boy’s side and leaned over his desk. “You don’t have to sit in here on your own, you know.” Despite not being able to see them, Kei could almost feel how Kuroo’s wings boxed him in.

One of Kei’s eyebrows twitched, but he didn’t bother trying to reply to the angel. Too many of his classmates were still around. Yamaguchi would have realised that, and understood.

Thankfully, it seemed that Kuroo did as well. The tall angel took no offence from Kei’s silence, and moved back a little, leaving only one hand leaning on the desk.

“I could show you where Hinata is? You know he’ll probably end up ‘talking to himself’ by accident.” Kei caught how the angel grinned from the corner of his eye.

Sighing, Kei stood up. Kuroo shifted back to let him move away from his desk, but hovered with intent. The blond boy walked out of the classroom, ignoring the angel’s knowing smirk as Kuroo moved to take the lead.

Kei stared at the angel’s back. It didn’t feel right, seeing an angel wearing his school uniform so casually. And they’d _all_ chosen to wear it.

Yamaguchi also tended to wear something similar to Kei’s uniform whenever he was at school, but that was different. The freckled demon was prone to making mistakes if he got distracted - someone might catch a glance of him in the hallway, and do a double-take, only to find him gone again.

The angels though - they didn’t _make_ mistakes. Without Yamaguchi around, Kei could only make them out when they deigned to show themselves to him. He could never see their wings, and no one else seemed to notice them at _all_.

Kei was still trying to work out how that was possible.

He chose not to question how Kuroo knew where Hinata was, even when they were out of earshot of others. Kei had noticed that the angels seemed to have a sense of where one another were. (Even Kageyama had shown some adeptness in that area, despite how he preferred to remain uninvolved with most of the others.) If Kuroo’s friend was still with Hinata, the other angel would know exactly where both of them were.

Kuroo led Kei outside and towards a more deserted area. A few people noticed as the blond boy walked by, but no one tried to stop him. Kei had built up a reputation for himself as being largely unapproachable - something that came in handy on occasions like this.

Kei frowned as they neared a tree, spotting Hinata’s distinctive red hair straightaway. Next to him were two others - Bokuto and Kuroo’s much less annoying friend. ( _“Kenma!”_ Hinata had helpfully supplied one day.) The smaller angel was fine to be around, but he’d had enough of Bokuto for one day. It was like someone was purposely trying to irritate him.

Completely oblivious, Kuroo practically skipped over to the two angels. Neither seemed surprised by his approach, and even Hinata didn’t appear as unsettled as he had the first few times he’d met the dark-haired angel. Kei suspected the small angel’s influence over him had something to do with that.

Despite that, a dip appeared between Hinata’s eyebrows as he approached. Kei told himself he wasn’t offended by it. “Tsukishima, what are you doing here?”

Kei kept his face carefully blank as he calmly walked over to the base of the tree. He settled himself down on the grass as far away from the others as possible, but still close enough that passersby would assume he was sitting with Hinata.

“Trying to make sure people don’t start thinking you’re going insane, talking into space like that.” He’d have to make it look like they actually _were_ hanging out. Just in case. Kei supposed he wouldn’t be able to put his headphones over his ears today, and barely held back a weary sigh.

Hinata let out a faint squawk of protest, but didn’t argue. Kei wondered when the red-head had become that sensible.

Ignoring how the angels started up their own, hushed conversation, Hinata actually twisted round to face Kei more directly. Whatever his surprise at the blond boy seeking him out, Hinata obviously had no qualms with annoying him as much as possible during lunch.

“Hey, Tsukishima - are you still looking forward to the training camp?” Hinata propped himself up on his elbows, grinning at Kei stupidly.

Kei faltered mentally. With everything else that had happened recently, the training camp announcement a few weeks back had completely slipped his mind.

He gave a vague hum of indifference to Hinata. The red-head nattered on, not noticing how Kei’s shoulders stiffened, or how the muscles of his jaw tightened uncomfortably as he clenched his teeth.

The temporary arrangement with Akiteru and Yamaguchi wouldn’t work in the long term - the training camp was the first reminder of that. They were going to have to come up with a better solution. And quickly.

* * *

When Akiteru finally finished work, Tadashi watched as the blond boy scratched the back of his neck and loitered near the entrance of his building.

Despite the number of times Tsukki had reiterated to him that he didn’t need to be so obvious, he still insisted on waiting for Tadashi awkwardly every day. Of course, after so many days had passed, Tadashi knew exactly when he had to move closer - as much by the set of the sun as the way Akiteru began to pack up his things at his desk.

He tried not to sneak up on Tsukki’s brother - he really did - but the older boy still jumped when Tadashi offered him a tentative, “Hi.”

Akiteru’s eyes darted to the demon’s newly revealed presence. “Hello - shall we get going then?”  Tsukki’s older brother stood with stiff shoulders as he offered Tadashi a strained smile. It didn’t take the demon’s keen eyesight to see how uncomfortable he made Akiteru.

Despite his weariness, Tadashi nodded and fell into step ever so slightly in front of Akiteru. The other boy’s eyes sent shivers of unease up and down his back.

It was strange, being visible to someone else, but he’d realised early on that Tsukki’s brother preferred him to remain in sight at all times. The demon wondered what he thought of all those years Tadashi had remained hidden inside their house.

It started to rain as they turned the first corner, wet drips falling into Tadashi’s hair and face as he walked. Unthinkingly, he adjusted his clothing and provided himself with a hat to at least keep his hair mostly dry.

Behind him, Akiteru inhaled a sharp breath, and the demon’s shoulders stiffened in response. Tsukki had been almost enamoured with his ability to clothe himself at a whim when he was much younger, but the novelty had long worn off. And Hinata - who was new to demons - didn’t seem fazed either way whenever Kageyama or himself did anything out of the ordinary, so Tadashi was unused to having attention drawn to his actions. It made the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably.

Tsukki’s brother remained quiet for several more footsteps, the silence between them only hidden because of the hush of rain hitting the pavement, and footfalls of people passing by.

“Yamaguchi?”

The demon nearly startled as badly as Akiteru had moments earlier at the sound of his name. He glanced over his shoulder as he slowed to a stop, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, and gave Tsukki’s older brother a weak smile. “Yes?”

Like his brother, Akiteru was fairly quick-thinking and held his phone to his ear as he spoke. No one that passed them spared him a second glance. Despite all of that, he still sounded hesitant when he spoke. “I’m sorry that you have to be here with me.”

If Tadashi hadn’t stopped in place mere moments earlier, he would have frozen just then. He met Akiteru’s even gaze with a wide-eyed one of his own.

“I don’t mind!” Really, he didn’t. “It’s just that I… I’m not used to spending so much time away from Tsukki - not _this_ far away from him, anyway - and…” Tadashi hesitated, unsure of whether he should continue or not. Akiteru’s quizzical expression was what prompted him. “I know I make you uncomfortable.”

Tsukki’s older brother raised his eyebrows before looking away guiltily. He scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “It’s not that _you_ make me feel uncomfortable, Yamaguchi. Well. I mean. Not _you_ specifically...” The older boy’s face crumpled, and the freckled boy understood exactly what he was getting at.

Demons. _Demons_ made Akiteru uncomfortable.

“That’s… understandable.” Yamaguchi murmured, and shuddered. Other demons made _him_ uncomfortable too. But then, so did angels.

“I’ve always had an interest in demons. So has Kei - although I’m not sure how much of that stems from me.” He lowered his arm and grinned abashedly, but the smile quickly fell from his face. “But, well… seeing them in person - more than once, even - isn’t something I’d wish on anyone.”

Akiteru raised the same hand to shakily touch the wet skin of his face, and Tadashi’s eyes followed the movement. Akiteru hadn’t been hurt too badly this time around, but the demon still remembered the haggard look his face had worn that night. Kageyama had done a fine job of glamouring the majority of the damage done to the skin of Tsukki’s neck, but not all wounds were visible enough to be hidden in such a way.

“Kei - he changed that night. His eyesight was ruined - I know he hit his head, but he was so concerned for me, he didn’t even seem to care.” Akiteru glanced down at the wet pavement, his eyes going glassy. His mouth thinned out into a faint line as he continued. “He had to get glasses after that, and we made up some story about falling off our bicycles and hitting our heads, our parents knew we were lying. They _knew_ something else had happened, because Kei stopped wanting to spend time with me after that.”

Tadashi’s mouth went dry. He remembered that - the terrible aftermath, how he’d fought off an entire horde of demons in Tsukki’s stead. The way Tsukki had hunched over his older brother’s broken form with small, trembling arms and fought back tears until Akiteru had regained consciousness.

Tadashi hadn’t known what to do then, and had stood in the background awkwardly. How did one comfort a crying child? _Should_ he comfort a crying child? At that point in his life, it had been a long time since Tadashi had been anything other than a demon. He’d still had morals - of a sort - but that sort of thing started to get a little hazy when you spent so much time as a shadow.

By all means, he shouldn’t have even saved Tsukki from the demon that had tried to devour him. But he had, and that had led him to where he was today.

Tadashi wasn’t human. He had long since Fallen from angelic grace, and yet he barely qualified as a demon either. The only thing grounding him was Tsukki’s contract.

“I can’t speak for Tsukki.” Akiteru’s head snapped up to meet his eyes through the downpour as Tadashi spoke. “But I can tell you that he doesn’t blame you.” _He blames himself_ , Tadashi wanted to add, but he knew that kind of honesty had to come directly from Tsukki himself.

“He struggled at first, when he first got glasses.” Tadashi glanced to the side, briefly considering how much detail he could give Akiteru before Tsukki would be annoyed with him. “Some of the other kids at school used to say mean things to him, and he wasn’t quite able to brush off their comments as easily as he does now.”

The demon though back to how awkward Tsukki had been as a child. For all his chilliness now, he’d been friendly to other kids his own age until the accident. Then, he’d started to retreat back into himself, and that - along with his new glasses - had made him a prime target for bullies.

Of course, Tadashi could have fixed his eyes in an instant, _for_ an instant, with possession. He’d refrained from mentioning that to Tsukki until he was much older for that very reason. The physical toll of possession wasn’t something that a child’s body could have withstood on a daily basis.

“When you bought him those headphones, it made everything easier. He wore them all the time between and after classes - they let him tune everyone out. School became easier for him after that.” Tadashi belatedly realised how odd that must have sounded to Tsukki’s brother - who had never known him then.

Internally wincing, he met Akiteru’s eyes again, only to find them filled with curiosity.

“You really have been watching over Kei all this time, haven’t you?” He cocked his head to one side. Most of his blond hair was plastered to his head now, but Akiteru hardly seemed to notice. “Must have been pretty lonely.”

Tadashi thought back of his most recent years - exchanging names with a much younger Tsukki, helping him cope with the aftermath of exposure to the violence of demons at such a young age, learning the things that made the other boy tick. Their first possession - so early, _too_ early - and Tsukki’s first successful block in a volleyball match. All were precious memories he could have lived another hundred years without ever experiencing.

“You know, people keep saying that to me.” Tadashi stared at the ground at first, but he met Akiteru’s eyes after only a single heartbeat. “But I’ve never really understood what they meant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is still one of my favourite AUs to write, but sometimes I feel so nervous about posting new chapters. Please let me know what you thought of this one!
> 
> There might be a delay before the next chapter as well, as my final assignment for the year is due in a couple of weeks.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m coming with you, you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is so overdue! I'd planned to have something up a couple of weeks ago, and then real life problems caught up with me, so I had to put writing on hold for a while. Hopefully there won't be any delays quite so long as that again!
> 
> Shout-out to FrostFlamer, who sat and read through _deal_ the other day and left a review/comment on every chapter. You pretty much made my day and every one of your comments made me smile!
> 
> Anyway, this chapter is light on the plot and heavy on the Kagehina interactions. Hope you guys like it!
> 
> Beta'd by Krissei - thank you, my dear!

“I’m coming with you, you know.”

Shouyou glanced up, hands deep in a pile of clothing. He still hadn’t found the shirt he was looking for. “What?”

Kageyama stood across from Shouyou, arms crossed and but black feathers draped out easily behind himself. He gave Shouyou an appraising look, before reaching directly into the pile and pulling out the shirt in question. He ignored the red-head’s flushed cheeks as he handed it to him. “I’m coming to your ‘training camp’.”

Shouyou faced away from the demon as he stuffed the shirt into his bag. “Kageyama, I -” He bit his lip. “It’s not that I don’t want you to come, but…”

“Kenma and I have already spoken about it. He’s fine with watching Natsu whilst we’re both away.”

For once, Shouyou didn't feel anything from his mark other than a vague sense of _determination_. He traced the outline of the feather on his hand, and it warmed, briefly. He turned back to find Kageyama staring at his face. Shouyou didn’t understand the intensity behind it, but the hairs at the back of his neck prickled at the same time that Kageyama’s black feathers twitched.

Shouyou kicked at a stray sock on the floor. He opened his mouth to say _something_ , but the door to his room slamming open cut him off.

“Nii-chan!” Natsu tackled the red-head into a flying hug. Her slight weight hitting him still had Shouyou stumbling backwards a couple of steps - _thanks, shortness_ \- but he managed to turn it into a gentle twirl instead.

Natsu, however, refused to be distracted by the spinning. “Are you really going away to a training camp?” Her voice was distraught.

Shouyou slowed and let her feet touch the floor once again. He eyed Kageyama - whose feathers were struggling to relax from the defensive bristling they’d undertaken at Natsu’s loud entry - as casually as he could. The demon crossed his arms over his chest and moved closer to the wall. Natsu didn’t seem to have noticed him, so he was probably hidden. Good.

“It’s only for a few days, Natsu - you won’t even notice I’m gone.” Shouyou gave her his brightest grin - the one that normally left Kageyama reeling.

Natsu wasn’t fazed. _Maybe it’s the genes._

“It doesn’t matter! I’ll still miss you!” She clutched tighter at the front of his shirt as she pouted.

Shouyou pushed the red hair back from her face. “Natsu…” He paused for a split-second, and in that moment he felt a rippling sensation of understanding from Kageyama. His mark flared into awareness with the onslaught of camaraderie Kageyama felt with his little sister.

As soon as the red-head became aware of it, the sensation was gone. His feather mark stuttered out as Kageyama - presumably - quenched the sharing of emotions between them. Shouyou resisted the urge to glance at the demon’s face, but saw his awkward shifting from the corner of his eyes anyway. His feathers still hadn't settled.

 _You’d miss me?_ was the gist of the questioning tendril he sent out to Kageyama, but it burned away with the heat of the demon’s embarrassment. Shouyou was sure it had reached its target though.

In the same instant, a flushed, forceful barrage of memories of Natsu from this afternoon hit him. They flickered by mostly as flashes of colour or smells - Shouyou still hadn’t quite got the hang of sorting through the things Kageyama shared with him - but one in particular stood out.

“You scuffed your knee today?” He absently noted how Kageyama’s head jerked up. The connection between them snapped back to normality, but Shouyou still clutched at that one, more vibrant memory the demon had shared. “Who pushed you?”

He realised his mistake in the same moment Kageyama facepalmed.

Natsu narrowed her eyes at him. She spoke slowly. “Nii-chan, how did you know that?” A faint light of understanding clicked into place in her expression. “Kageya-”

“ _Shit._ ” Shouyou rapidly side-stepped the growing curiosity on his sister’s face and ran out of the room. Packing for the training camp could wait until later. “I’m going for a bath!”

“Nii-chan said a bad word!” Natsu’s scandalised voice followed him as he darted through the hallway. He didn’t have to look back to know that Kageyama was following him, albeit at a much more sedate pace.

When he reached the bathroom, Shouyou slammed the door behind himself. Kageyama appeared next to him with a puff of heat a moment later, just as the red-head was leaning back heavily against the door.

Natsu’s small legs weren’t nearly as fast, and she’d barely turned the corner as he’d locked himself in. Despite that, she pounded on the door a few times for good measure before giving up. (Or rather, when their mum came to drag her away from the door.)

Kageyama raised an incredulous eyebrow, but the red-head knew he was barely fighting back a grin. Kageyama always enjoyed seeing Shouyou flustered. His black wings were folded neatly behind him, not a feather out of place. It was a sharp contrast with Shouyou’s mussed up hair and clothes. “Was that really necessary?”

“You know what she’s like!” The smaller boy could feel his cheeks heating. His hands tightened into fists as he whispered furiously. “She was never going to stop nagging me once she found out you were around!”

“And whose fault is that?” Kageyama leaned down into Shouyou’s space, radiating heat, and the red-head’s warm cheeks became a full-blown blush.

It was Shouyou’s fault, really. But like hell he was admitting that. “Yours!”

“ _What?_ ” Shouyou received a double reverberation of indignation from the demon. Kageyama’s wings bristled and he reached out for a handful of Shouyou’s red hair. The smaller boy only narrowly avoided the sharp, black nails, cheekily tugging at the uttermost of Kageyama’s feathers as he ducked underneath one of his wings.

The dark-haired boy’s breath hitched with the casual touch, but Shouyou pretended not to notice. He knew Kageyama’s wings were… broken, but touching them didn’t seem to cause the demon any pain. At least, not as far as Shouyou could tell. He definitely hadn’t hurt the demon, and that was all he cared about.

After all, Kageyama had no qualms with tugging on _his_ hair.

“It’s _your_ fault because you know what I’m like and _of course_ I was going to ask her what boy pushed her during break time!” His only clue had been a small head of short, brown hair, but the memory from Kageyama had been much more crisp than any of the others. The demon’s irritation at another human touching Natsu had tinged it bright and clear.

“So I was just not supposed to say anything?" Kageyama indignantly tried to bat him in the face with a wing as he turned.

“Yes! No!” Shouyou paused. “I don’t know!”

Altruism hadn’t been the demon’s only reason for trying to distract the red-head with that memory, and they both knew it.

“Well, it’s too late now. She knows I’ve been spying on her.” Kageyama rolled his shoulders as Shouyou sat down heavily on the bathroom floor. The wing Shouyou had tugged on stretched lazily, but was still confined by the walls of the room. Bathrooms weren't made for people with wings, after all. “I’m surprised she hasn’t let slip to your parents about anything. Wasn’t that the basis for your concern?”

Shouyou stared up at him. It was obvious that Kageyama was fond of his sister. They got on well together, which was a good thing - a _great_ thing.

She didn’t need to know that he was keeping an eye on her though. Shouyou could lie to his parents - say that Kageyama was her imaginary friend or a stuffed animal or something - if she brought it up with them, but with others…

“It’s not that I think she’s stupid or anything…” Shouyou glanced to one side. “It’s just that, there are some things she doesn’t need to know.”

 _Demons, angels, contracts._ There was lots of things Shouyou didn’t want his sister to know about in too much detail.

He pushed those thoughts from his head and shot Kageyama a bright grin. “Y’know, I’m pretty sure she thinks you’re just some weirdo with wings. Kids are always scarily accepting of things like that.”

The demon narrowed his eyes at Shouyou. What could he deny though? Kageyama _was_ a little odd, even by comparison to the other demons and angels the red-head had met. He let that thought roll off him in waves, smirk widening as Kageyama crossed his arms with annoyance.

Yeah, Kageyama was weird, but he was _his_ weird demon.

Both of them ignored the rising blush on Kageyama’s cheeks. “So your smart idea to avoid talking to her about everything is to hide in the bathroom?”

Shouyou blinked and pulled himself up from the floor. “Well, I kind of need to use it anyway. It was just, y’know, convenient.”

(It was the first place that had come to mind.)

Kageyama stared at him impassively, and Shouyou was suddenly reminded of the last time the two of them had been in the bathroom together. He’d all but banned Kageyama from following him in there again, but here they were.

“I’m going to have a bath.” A creeping flush started to slink its way up the back of Shouyou’s neck. “Turn around - if you stare at me again like last time, I’ll ban you from being inside the house.”

“I wasn’t _staring_.” Kageyama sniffed haughtily, but his cheeks were two bright spots of colour. Shouyou thought at least part of that was his own embarrassment bleeding over. One of the demon's wings twitched. “Humans are just so… different. And your hair is _so red_ -”

“ _Shut up shut up shut up shut up!_ ” Shouyou’s face turned the exact shade of red the demon was referring to. Kageyama appeared stupefied. “This is _exactly_ what the problem was last time as well! Did you not _read_ the books I gave you?”

Not long after the time Kageyama had barged in on him in the bathroom, the red-head had borrowed an entire _pile_ of books from both the school _and_ public libraries. Titles included ‘ _Social and Cultural Norms of Japan_ ’ and a couple of children's’ books on how to interact with friends politely. (The last one had been more of a joke on Shouyou’s part, but, looking back, Kageyama really _had_ needed them too.)

Unfortunately, from the way the demon shrugged ambiguously, he hadn’t looked at _any_.

“Turn around.” Shouyou’s expression turned deadly. “And. Don’t. Look.”

The dark-haired boy flinched back. “I don’t see what the big deal is…” he muttered sulkily, but complied anyway. Kageyama still didn't _really_ understand what he'd done wrong the first time, after all - only that Hinata didn't like being watched when he was in the bathroom.

Shouyou was left staring at the dark expanse of Kageyama’s winged back as he pulled off his shirt. He quickly turned around, not particularly wanting to have to confront the demon if he ignored Shouyou's request anyway. He had already shrugged out of the rest of his clothes and sat down to wash himself when Kageyama’s low voice broke the silence.

“If I don’t come with you, I can’t help you with our deal.”

“What?” Shouyou glanced backwards distractedly. Kageyama still faced away from him, thankfully.

Shouyou scrubbed himself quickly as the demon clarified, “I need to be with you to help you. With volleyball.” He sounded awkward, but it didn’t bleed over to Shouyou emotionally.

The red-head rinsed himself off and stumbled into the bath, nearly tripping over the hazardous obstacle that was thin air. He made sure he was safely sunken into the water before he centred himself, focusing on the space between Kageyama’s wings. In some ways, it was almost harder for him to communicate clearly when he could also see the demon physically.

“ _You can turn around now._ ”

Kageyama turned fluidly, little interest on his face as he met Shouyou’s eyes. That could have just been a careful mask though, as the red-head wasn’t getting much of an impression from him mentally.

It had almost become second-nature to Shouyou to reach out towards his demon like that. He still struggled to block Kageyama out sometimes, but the demon was getting better at holding himself back from Shouyou, despite the odd slip-up. Like earlier.

Shouyou absently swirled the water around himself. “Do you think Yamaguchi will come too?”

Kageyama snorted. He didn’t make any sort move to shift closer to Shouyou, and the red-head appreciated that. “I think Yamaguchi will do whatever he and his human think is best.”

Shouyou’s eyebrows dipped. Kageyama had willingly helped Tsukishima out with hiding the damage to his neck, but he’d yet to call the blond boy by his name. The red-head thought it was a petty way of slighting his teammate, but he couldn’t blame the demon either. Tsukishima still looked down his nose as both of them, and it irritated Shouyou too. Even if he _had_ been lot more tolerant of Kageyama recently.

He felt a vague trickle of agreement from the demon. “ _He’s annoying._ ”

Shouyou hummed distractedly as he let his mind wander. Then he groaned and let his forehead fall against the side of the bath.

Kageyama raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“I forgot my towel.” There was _no way_ he was getting out of the bath without one. “Could you go get it for me?”

Kageyama's dark feathered began to ruffle. "I'm not your servant." Despise the words, he demon didn't seem particularly bothered by Shouyou's request. He snorted. “And you don’t need one of those.”

Shouyou stared up at his demon indignantly. “Just because _you_ don’t have a problem with me being naked, doesn’t mean that _I_ -”

“Just stand up, dumbass.”

When Shouyou gave no sign of moving, the demon rolled his eyes before covering them with one hand. He even threw up one of his wings for good measure. “Just stand up and get out of the bath.” He held the other hand out expectantly.

Confused, but a little curious, Shouyou complied. He made sure to flick as much excess water at Kageyama as possible. Most of it evaporated before it even hit his feathers.

When he eventually grabbed the demon’s hand - eyeing the black nails dubiously - Shouyou let out a startled gasp as the water covering his body began to steam away from him. A wave of heat rolled over him, rising up from his feet to the crown of his head. The sensation stopped just short of being uncomfortably warm, but Shouyou's skin still prickled. He would probably have pulled his hand back if Kageyama hadn't held onto it firmly.

“That was… weird.” The red-head didn’t know how else to put it. There were still faint wafts of hot air trailing up from between his toes when Kageyama finally released him. “Any chance you could steam-clean my clothes as well?”

Kageyama peeked at him, one blue eye peering through the dark feathers of a wing. Shouyou allowed it. “I could made it look like you’re wearing clothes.”

The demon didn’t phrase it as much of a question, but Shouyou knew it was meant as such. “No thanks.” He side-stepped Kageyama, pulling on the same clothes from earlier.

Shouyou pulled on his shorts first - he’d change out of them as soon as he was back in his room. Before he could finish lifting his shirt over his head, however, he felt a tentative touch against his back.

It wasn’t light enough to be a feather, but Kageyama’s hand brushed over his skin just as delicately. Shouyou shivered, skin goosebumping as the demon’s finger trailed down his back, starting at the thin hairs at the base of his neck. There was something fragile about the silence between them that made Shouyou not want to break it with words.

Kageyama jerked his hand back just as it slipped below Shouyou’s shoulder blades, snapping out of whatever reverie he had been in. He grunted in a way that the red-head took as an apology.

Shouyou slipped his shirt over his head without turning around, unsure of what he’d find on Kageyama’s face if he did. “You’re allowed to touch me, you know. That’s OK.”

He’d held Kageyama’s hand a moment earlier, but that wasn't what Shouyou was referring to. This sort of thing was different - more intimate.

“I know.” Did he really though?

Kageyama disappeared before Shouyou could think of what else to say to that. Normally, he would have presumed the dark-haired demon was simply loitering nearby, but, when he reached out through the mark, Shouyou could feel the physical distance between them too.

Perhaps that was for the best, just this once.

On his way out of the bathroom, Shouyou caught Natsu’s giggled, “Nii-chan was talking to himself in the bathroom again.” He flushed and ducked into his room as his mother shushed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a while I wasn't sure if I was even going to include this part, but I think it makes a nice break from all the recent drama within the fic.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite the clear _go away_ in his tone, Hinata grinned more brightly. He loved to irritate him, Kei was sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, all! Sorry for the slow updates recently. I've been really struggling to write for the past few weeks, so it's just a short update this time, I'm afraid! But this chapter leads us nicely into the training camp storyline.
> 
> Beta'd by Krissei! Thank you!

Kei was never much of a morning person. He didn’t struggle with getting up for practice, but waking up any earlier was pushing it a little. Normally Yamaguchi would nudge him a few times if he accidentally slept in. The demon provided silent companionship throughout the early hours as well, which was exactly the kind of company Kei preferred - if he _had_ to have any.

Kei shifted uncomfortably in his seat, leaning on an elbow so that he could stare out of the bus window. The landscape rushed by in front of him, but Kei wasn’t really seeing it. Even the headphones blasting music into his ears weren’t much of a distraction. The sounds washed into his head through his ears and then back out again. He felt _empty_.

A weight settled in the - previously - empty seat next to the blond boy, and he felt the heavy brightness of Hinata’s smile even before he turned to meet it.

Kei raised a pale eyebrow at the smaller boy. He couldn’t always deal with Hinata one-on-one on the best of days, let alone early morning. The red-head was too _vibrant_ too early, from his abrasive hair colour to the way he twitched in his seat with excess energy.

Kei had never resented his demon’s absence more.

Still, he figured he owed Hinata a certain degree of respect. If only because they were teammates, and Yamaguchi seemed to like him. Not because _Kei_ liked him. He wasn’t particularly fond of Hinata’s demon either.

But the other demon had helped him out, and Kei didn’t doubt for one second that that was only because Kei had a connection to the red-head too.

“What?” The blond boy grumbled, and pulled his headphones down to hang around his neck. Yamaguchi would have been pleased if he was here. Kei could picture the exact smile he would have given him.

Despite the clear _go away_ in his tone, Hinata grinned more brightly. He loved to irritate him, Kei was sure.

Barely repressing a sigh, the taller boy twisted round in his seat and resigned himself to dealing with the red-head’s company for the rest of the journey.

“Where’s Yamaguchi hiding?” Hinata’s voice was coloured with curiosity. He glanced over Kei’s shoulder, as though expecting to find Yamaguchi hanging out of the window. What an _idiot_.

Beneath the irritation, something in Kei’s chest twinged at the question. He swore there was an answering echo at the back of his neck.

“He’s not coming.” Kei felt the strong urge to look out of the window again. He settled for staring impassively a Hinata instead.

“ _What?_ ”

Kei flinched and most of the rest of their teammates woke up, groaning. There was a mixed chorus of, “Hinata, _shut up_!” “You’re too loud” and “Need sleep...”

Hinata slapped a hand over his mouth, the other scratching the back of his head bashfully. When he spoke again, it was much quieter. “You’re leaving him _behind_?” Kei had never heard him sound so scandalised.

“Yes.” He’d already had this conversation with two other people, and didn’t feel like explaining himself to a third. “Where’s your demon?” Kei didn’t really care, but it would distract the red-head.

“Oh.” As if on cue, the odd, blurry mark on Hinata’s palm flared into existence. Kei still wasn’t entirely sure why Hinata was so proud of it - he couldn’t even make out the vague feather shape the other boy claimed it had without Yamaguchi’s help.

“ _Kageyama_ ,” Hinata enunciated carefully, “is outside. Somewhere.”

The red-head’s brow furrowed with concentration, and Kei couldn’t quite hold back a sneer. He didn’t know where his demon was? Pitiful.

Hinata scratched absently at his palm a couple of times before his gaze refocused on the taller blond. “Yeah, he’s following. He wanted to come with me, so he is.” Hinata’s cheeks reddened ever so slightly with the admission, but he carried on regardless. “He thinks you’re trying to change the subject as well.”

Kei blinked several times, then used to excuse of pushing his glasses back into place to stall for more time to think. “You can talk to him from here?” _They can do that?_

“Yes?” Hinata raised an eyebrow at him, then seemed to reconsider. He leaned back in his seat. “Well, kind of? He’s not very clear unless we’re close together.”

Kei didn’t know what to make of that. He and Yamaguchi could _only_ communicate clearly when they were touching. When they weren’t, it was only when they were under extreme emotional stress that the feeling would burn across between them.

And pain - pain was always shared.

“...You two are weird.” The blond boy supposed he’d just have to get used to that.

Hinata frowned before perking up suddenly. “How’s your neck?”

Kei couldn’t quite prevent his finger from twitching with the repressed impulse to run a hand over his neck. The marks there were nearly gone, but even small reminders were just that. _Reminders_.

“It’s fine.” He didn’t appreciate Hinata bringing that up either. The smaller boy really had no taste in conversation topics. Not that Kei wanted to talk to him, either.

“Oi, Hinata! Tsukishima! When did you two become so friendly?” One of the second years - now wide awake thanks to Hinata’s abrupt loudness - propped himself up over the back of Hinata’s seat.

Kei made a point not to interact with loud people too often, but Tanaka wasn’t exactly someone you forgot in a hurry. Hinata adored him, but Kei was still wary of the older boy. He never knew what to expect - even his first impression of Tanaka had been misleading.

Before Kei could even begin to consider how to answer Tanaka’s _preposterous_ suggestion - he _barely tolerated_ Hinata - the red-head in question was already answering.

“Oh, Tsukishima is actually really fond of me - he just doesn’t want the rest of the team to get jealous.” Hinata had a stupid grin on his face as he looked up at Tanaka. That is, until he noticed the icy daggers Kei was trying to stab into him with his glare.

“I would never be friends with someone who can’t even do the most basic serves or receives,” the blond boy deadpanned. He let his cold gaze drift away from Hinata, and felt the smaller boy let out a breath of relief.

Tanaka burst out laughing. “That sounds more like it!” He ruffled both of their heads, much to Kei’s annoyance.

“Why don’t you just talk to one of your other friends, Hinata?” Another voice called over from the back. “You know, one of the _invisible_ ones?”

A few others laughed as Hinata let out an embarrassed, “W-what?”

“Well, you’re always talking to yourself at odd moments now.” Tanaka took the conversation by the reins, and raised an eyebrow at the red-head. “You were even muttering to yourself in the locker room the other day.”

Kei, still facing out of the window, closed his eyes with irritation as Hinata spluttered. The other boy really was an embarrassment. He’d had his demon for long enough now - he should have been able to hide his existence more easily. By drawing attention to himself, he was ultimately drawing attention to Kei as well.

Did Kei have to do _everything_ around here?

“He probably doesn’t get enough oxygen to his brain when he jumps as high as he does,” he muttered, and Tanaka thumped the back of his seat as he roared with laughter.

“Or maybe your tiny brain doesn’t work properly anyway?” Kei twisted his words into a sneer as he turned to face Hinata again.

The smaller boy’s face was satisfyingly red with chagrin. “That’s not how it works, Stingyshima!” He looked ready to say something else, and his mouth was half-open when his eyes suddenly flickered to his palm - the marked one.

Hinata’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “Wait, did you just _compliment_ me?” His cheeks were still red, but his expression was about as baffled as Kei felt.

“ _What_?”

“You did!” Hinata’s sunny grin was quick to return. “You complimented me! You said I jump high!” He puffed out his chest, as though proud.

One of Kei’s eyebrows twitched. He couldn’t keep the irritation out of his voice. “That’s _not a compliment_ , you -”

“Oi!” Tanaka stuck a hand between them. “No fighting on the bus!”

The blond boy glanced at him, irritation rising. “I’m not going to fight him, I’m just going to make sure his tiny, _pea-sized_ brain understands the difference between a compliment and an acknowledgement of fact.”

“Hey!” Hinata squawked indignantly.

Someone sitting in the back called out,“You shouldn’t pick on him so much, Tsukishima!”

“Yeah, it’s not nice to be mean to your _friends_ ,” someone else sniggered, and the rest of the bus broke out into laughter.

“Guys…” Tanaka glanced at the front of the bus, towards the captain.

“We still have another half an hour before we arrive.” Daichi’s low voice somehow made it over the cacophony of sound. Wisely, everyone fell silent after that.

* * *

“Uwaaa!” Shouyou knew he was probably _still_ being too loud, but he couldn’t hold back the feverish anticipation that sent shivers down his spine. He could hear Tsukishima sniffing disparagingly behind him, but he didn’t care. The red-head had never been to train at another school before. Even just seeing the gates was exciting.

His feather mark flickered like a tiny heartbeat in his hand as he helped pull their bags out from the bus storage. Kageyama was close by, near enough that Shouyou felt the warmth from their connection bleeding up his arm. Shouyou couldn’t see him anywhere, but that didn’t mean anything.

_He’s hiding from me_. With that thought, the red-head received the barest of acknowledgements from his demon. Typical. He messed up _one time_ and spoke to Kageyama in front of the others, and now he was hiding away.

“Multiple _times, dumbass._ ” Kageyama’s irritated voice was a brief stab of cold in his hand.

Shouyou ignored him with a snort. It was easy to when his excitement was still overtaking everything else.

His team moved forwards as a group, the older members leading the way as they crossed the unfamiliar school grounds. Shouyou supposed that it wasn’t all that different compared to his own - maybe a little nicer - but it _felt_ different. There was a palpable tension in the air (though that may have been from Shouyou himself).

As they approached the gymnasium, Shouyou finally got his first look at the team they’d be training with. It was with a small grumble that he noted that all of them were taller than he was.

“Everyone, line up!” Daichi’s voice cut across the faint mumblings of the rest of the team. The captain always had an air of authority around him, but it was most obvious whenever he spoke up like that.

Even Kageyama had admitted to Shouyou that the third-year boy intimidated him. “ _Just a little,_ ” of course. “ _He reminds me of Iwaizumi_.”

Shouyou stared at Daichi, wondering what the basis for the comparison was. For some reason, the name had reminded the red-head of his encounter with Oikawa - though Shouyou couldn’t have pointed out why. He’d never heard it mentioned before. _Iwaizumi_.

Kageyama shivered almost imperceptibly, the sensation bland and dull in comparison to the way Shouyou’s teammates shuffled around one another in front of him. Someone nudged him in the shoulder before he could chase after the uncomfortable feeling. Shouyou blinked, suddenly aware of his surroundings again.

“You’re doing it again,” Tsukishima muttered, side-stepping the red-head. “No wonder the others keep noticing how weird you’ve been behaving.”

Shouyou glared at the taller boy as he took his place next to him in the line, his voice a low hiss. “I was just thinking!”

“Really?” Tsukishima raised a pale eyebrow, eyes malicious. “I wouldn’t have expected that.”

Shouyou narrowed his eyes at him, but followed the rest of the team in bowing to their opponents. Now that they were all lined up, he could see each of them individually. Much to his annoyance, Shouyou felt himself be sized up and dismissed in turn.

When they straightened, the red-head found his eyes drawn to one boy in particular.

He stood at the end of the line, slightly out of place with the others on his team. His entire posture _reeked_ of insubordination, despite the fact the was wearing the same gym clothes as everyone else. He hadn’t bothered bowing, and his hair was cropped short and bright with two, black stripes banding over it. To top it off, his eyes were dark around the edges, like he’d lined them with something sooty. It made the bored, irritated expression on his face stand out all the more.

Suddenly, the stranger sniffed the air, his eyes sharpening as he noticed the red-head’s attention. He straightened, glaring back at Shouyou, his mouth only the slightest bit of tooth away from a _growl_.

Shouyou couldn’t seem to break the eye contact. He didn’t think much beyond quivering in his shoes under the weight of that glare.

That is, until Tsukishima asked, “What’re you looking at?”

Everything clicked into place. Shouyou’s breath hitched, and Kageyama’s voice _burned_.

“ _Demon._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had notes written on Kyouken for SO LONG. Hopefully I can do him justice.
> 
> The first part of this chapter was a lot of fun to write - especially with where the manga is at the moment. I really hope we get more Hinata/Tsukki interactions in canon, because they're such polar opposites.
> 
> As a side note - this is an AU, so I’ve taken some liberties with the teams and their locations. I know Seijou is relatively close to Karasuno, but I’ve always headcanoned the two teams in this chapter as not being exactly as they are in canon. (As in, they may contain different members - and are certainly missing some.) For that reason, I’ve never called Hinata’s school ‘Karasuno’, and I doubt I’ll be referring to the other team as ‘Seijou’ either. Too many vital characters are missing from each. I just wanted to clear that up for future reference!
> 
> Oh, and in case anyone starts wondering about Yamaguchi - he's a POV character too! So don't worry, I won't be missing him out just because he's not with Tsukki just now.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Did you _see_ his face? It was even scarier than _yours_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge wait on this one! I have so many excuses for the delay with this chapter, including (but not limited to) writer's block, illness, working on last-minute assignments and real-life things getting in the way.
> 
> I'm not sure what the update schedule is going to be for a while - I'm currently just finishing up my Master's year, so things are a little hectic this month. I really miss writing though, so I'll try my best to get some more stuff written up for you guys!
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone so far who has left kudos/bookmarks/comments/subscribed! The response to _deal_ has been so amazingly positive and I'm constantly overwhelmed by how lovely everyone is in the comments. Your responses really mean a lot to me and I read each and every one of them.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> Beta'd by Krissei - thank you so much for encouraging me over the past few weeks (and through all the delays)!

“I’m surprised that you’d just let him go off on his own like that, in all honesty.”

They were walking side by side, though Kuroo had a tendency to drift a little too close to Tadashi for his own comfort. His wings were stifling, and had a tendency to linger too close to the demon’s shoulders. Sometimes the uppermost feathers even brushed against him.

“It’s a _volleyball training camp_ , not a battlefield. Your way of thinking is too outdated,” Tadashi said as he edged away from Kuroo for the fifth time. He would rather have been left with Kenma, or - better yet - Suga. The two of them knew when their input was needed, and when it _wasn’t_.

Kuroo didn’t.

He kept pace with Tadashi easily as they walked, ignoring the other boy’s attempts to put just a _little_ space between them. There was a lightness to the Kuroo’s steps that Tadashi didn’t feel - he was too busy trying to keep Akiteru in sight, several strides ahead. Tsukki might have left, but he’d also left him with a _job_.

“On the contrary, I don’t think _your_ thinking is modern enough. This world is so much more dangerous than it used to be.” The angel shook out his wings and grinned at him.

Tadashi eyed the white feathers warily, _pointedly_. Kuroo’s grin widened, but it wasn’t malicious. He tucked his feathers away just enough to ease the clawing sensation along Tadashi’s back.

“So many more demons,” the angel continued, “and humans just _love_ to cause problems for one another.”

The freckled demon stared at him blankly. “And you think Tsukki is one of those humans. Causing problems.” He made sure Kuroo could hear _exactly_ what he thought of that with his tone.

“Not at all.” Tadashi caught the returning edge of Kuroo’s smile as he turned to focus on Akiteru again. The dark-haired angel really was tiring to be around. “I just thought you would be more… interested in spending time with him. With everything that has happened recently.”

Tadashi was really starting to get sick of the way his back itched every time he felt the vaguest bit uncomfortable. The prickle of unease and sharp tingling at his neck was similar to how he felt when Tsukki was in danger. Seeing feathers wasn’t exactly helping to take his mind off things either. “Tsukki can take care of himself.” The blond boy knew how to avoid attracting attention.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Kuroo’s smooth voice was pleased. “But the red-head isn’t so experienced, don’t you think?”

Akiteru disappeared into a store with only one entrance, so Tadashi allowed himself a reprieve. It was highly unlikely that anything would happen so early in the day anyway - let alone with an _angel_ at his side. He shifted to lean back against a wall, and eyed Kuroo with some trepidation. “What do you mean?” he asked slowly.

“Well, he’s not particularly good at hiding things, is he?” Kuroo settled next to Tadashi - as much as his wings would allow. The demon wasn’t even sure why he was bothering to display them - he could hide them if he really wanted, even from Tadashi’s eyes. “Sure, the others have taken a liking to him - he’s pretty charming - and Kageyama has a certain fondness for him, but he’s _new_. He’ll make mistakes.”

Tadashi stared at him much longer than was necessary. He wasn’t even sure who they were talking about at this point. “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.” His voice came out a more hollow than intended.

“I’m sure they do.” After a few seconds, Kuroo’s tense expression blossomed out into a faint smile again. He tapped a finger to his lips, as though considering. “Guess at least one of us should go make sure those small mistakes don’t lead to anything bigger, hmm?”

Tadashi tried his best not to feel relieved, but it still seeped through as the tall angel left with a flash of red and burnt air. He was sure Tsukki could deal with the angel a lot better than he could.

_Sorry, Tsukki._

* * *

Kei noticed as soon as Hinata began to freeze up. Asking what he was staring at didn’t help, because the red-head didn’t seem able to tear himself away from whatever he was fixated on.

Keeping his face blank, Kei let his eyes pass over the opposing team. Just as they began to break apart and enter the gymnasium, he caught what he was looking for. At the other end of the line, one of the other team members was gazing towards Hinata with a curious look on his face. Kei made eye contact with him in the next instant.

 _Ah_ , he stiffened as the back of his neck twinged with pain. He felt a vague trickle of unease run down his spine. _Of course_ all of this would have to do with demons.

Maybe Yamaguchi should have come with him.

No. _No_ , that was a ridiculous thought. He’d already made the decision to have him stay behind with his brother.

Besides, if the other boy’s slight, reciprocal wincing at their eye contact was anything to go by, he also had a stinging contract mark. In any case, _Hinata_ had his demon with him, and Kei knew the dark-haired boy was incredibly protective of his contractee.

All demons were.

Not enjoying the contact in the slightest, Kei reached over and yanked Hinata with him as the boy from the other team turned to leave as well. The red-head stumbled, but Kei ignored his protests in favour of making a quick note of the stranger’s features. He was left with the parting image of pale, brown hair vanishing into the gymnasium - altogether too nondescript for his liking.

Kei pulled Hinata to the side, loitering just in front of the entrance. “Don’t stare at it, you idiot.” He was more than a little unnerved that he couldn’t see the demon too, but he also thought Hinata’s awkwardness was too much of an overreaction. The red-head had barely even touched on how disturbing demons could be.

“He looks _terrifying_ , Tsukishima.” The red-head went to glance behind himself again, only stopped by the taller boy dragging him into the gym. “Why is he _here_?”

“Contracted,” Kei muttered, pushing Hinata in front of him and through the door. He didn’t have time for this.

“But -”

“Later. We have a match to play.” Why couldn’t Kei just have a normal day for once? Before Hinata’s demon had shown up, everything had been so much _quieter_.

* * *

It was easy for Tsukishima to say that. He couldn’t see the way the demon loitered around the edges of the court. _He_ couldn’t see how its eyes tracked every small movement Shouyou made to counter the other team. How his nose twitched and his eyes narrowed whenever Shouyou was forced to move closer to that side of the court.

Kageyama hadn’t spoken at all since his confirmation of the other demon’s presence, and that thought made Shouyou’s toes curl uncomfortably. He supposed that meant the demon wasn’t a threat, but Kageyama’s judgement could be dubious at best. _Not a threat_ did not necessarily mean the same thing between demons and humans.

Only the vaguest ripple of displeasure reached the red-head, so he figured Kageyama was mostly leaving him to his own devices for this one.

It made it both easier and more difficult to concentrate on his moves on the court, and Shouyou ended up fumbling digs he would normally have been able to get. Luckily, the others put it down to nerves.

“Don’t worry about it, Hinata!” Tanaka thumped him on the back after he’d stumbled on his fifth receive - costing them the match. “Just get the next one!”

Tsukishima stared at him blankly from behind Tanaka, but Shouyou was too focused on the other, darker eyes boring holes into his back. He barely repressed a shudder, even as his mark pulsed with warmth comfortingly. “Right.”

That wasn’t enough to block out the confused murmurs from the other side of the court though. Shouyou was moving past the net when he caught a distinct, “Why is he even on the court? He’s so _small_ ,” and was bristling before he realised.

“ _Hey_ -”

“Imagine not being able to win against someone half your size. _Pathetic_.” Tsukishima adjusted his glasses nonchalantly before staring at the boys closest to the net. He easily towered over most of them, who merely frowned before flinching backwards as Tanaka leered at them too.

The blond boy glanced at Shouyou again with a look that clearly said he thought the red-head was just as bad, and then dismissed him just as quickly. Shouyou couldn’t even find it in himself to be offended. It was just too surreal, having Tsukishima stand up for him, and Shouyou wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Ignore them, Hinata.” Tanaka threw an arm over his shoulders and jostled him with a grin. “We know you’re better than this!”

Shouyou felt his spirits dampen again as confusion left and was replaced with discomfort caused by the demon at the edge of the court. (And not _his_ demon, either.) He wanted to believe that he was a better player - even if he _was_ prone to stumbling with digs anyway - but it was difficult for him to concentrate purely on the match at hand.

For the first half of the second game, Daichi took him off the court. That stung a little, but the captain made sure to let Shouyou know that it was only so that he could ‘go get some air’.

Surprisingly, the new demon didn’t bother following him as he slinked back out towards the exit. Sure, he stared at Shouyou with narrowed eyes, but it was more like being watched by a guard dog. The red-head wasn’t sure why he didn’t pursue him, because, really, next to the other members of his team, he was easy pickings.

The demon maintained eye contact with him when he glanced inwards for the final time, hand on the door. There was a promised threat there, whether it was all bravado or not, and Shouyou shuddered as he pulled the door shut.

“You don’t have to be so scared.” Kageyama’s voice drifted over Shouyou’s head as he put a hand on one of the red-head’s shoulders.

Shouyou _didn’t_ flinch at the contact - not one bit - but appreciated the way Kageyama’s wings curved around him comfortingly anyway. He leaned into the demon’s warmth.

“You’re kidding, right?” He looked upwards, at Kageyama’s frowning expression. It felt like forever since Shouyou had seen it, when it had really only been less than a day. “Did you _see_ his face? It was even scarier than _yours_.”

Kageyama’s grip tightened on his shoulder, black nails digging in, but the look on Shouyou’s face seemed to prevent him from arguing that particular point. His face softened. “He’s nothing big.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Shouyou huffed, leaning into him a little more. “You didn’t have him staring at you whilst you were trying to play a volleyball match.”

The demon accommodated the movement, but let his free hand brush over the smaller boy’s marked hand. “He can’t hurt you.”

“But -”

“Hey hey, Shouyou! Are you OK?” There was a faint rumble in the air, but Bokuto alighted much more quietly than usual next to them. Though he would probably have knocked the two of them over with his flailing wings if Kageyama hadn’t fixed him with an unimpressed glare. “Kenma heard you freak out from quite a while away.”

“He’s just being stupid.” Kageyama turned, freeing Shouyou from the protective covering of his dark wings. The comfort was immediately missed, but that didn’t stop the red-head from glaring at him.

“No, I’m not!” He darted under the black feathers, giving Kageyama an irritated look. “There’s a _demon_ in there.”

“Really?” Bokuto’s head perked up, and he glanced behind Kageyama’s shoulder, as though he could stare through the door. “Sounds like fun.”

Shouyou let out a defeated sigh. That is, until Kageyama nudged him forwards with a wing.

“Smell him.”

The red-head frowned at him. “Eh?”

Bokuto leaned forwards obligingly, sniffing the air. Somehow, even with that movement, he still managed to give Shouyou the impression of being inspected by a giant bird. It was probably his eyes, Shouyou figured. And his wings.

“Yeah, I see what you mean. You’re fine, Shouyou - it’s just a lesser demon.” The angel’s nose crumpled. “Smells a little like… wet dog.”

Shouyou sniffed one of his arms curiously as the other two spoke over his head. He couldn’t smell anything even remotely like Bokuto had described.

“Contracted too,” Kageyama sniffed. His black feathers puffed up a little.

“Oh, well in that case - you have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about.” Bokuto grinned at Shouyou, yellow eyes blazing. “Those things don’t do anything without their contractee’s permission. They’re all bark and no bite.”

Shouyou was starting to feel like he was missing something - especially since Kageyama had taken no offence from the latter part of Bokuto’s statement. “‘Those things’?” He felt Kageyama shift beside him.

“Oh, you know - the ones that used to be humans.” The angel flippantly lifted one of his greying wings. “They don’t even know what they’re doing half the time.”

 _Used to be… humans?_ Shouyou met Kageyama’s eyes for a few seconds. “But,” he turned back to Bokuto, “Kuroo said they were dangerous.” He remembered _that_ part of his conversation with Kenma and Kuroo distinctly.

“Well… They’re a little more… unpredictable, I guess.” Bokuto scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Shouyou got a glimpse of the muscle in his arms. He thought about how he’d seen them catch fire, and realised very few demons would pose a threat in Bokuto’s eyes.

“ _They’re not a threat to me either._ ” Kageyama didn’t bother to meet Shouyou’s questioning gaze. “ _Or to you._ ” He radiated such blatant self-belief that the red-head could almost see the ripples of heat from his wings.

Shouyou thought about the bright spot of light Kageyama had become when he had first met Tsukishima, and the way that Yamaguchi still sometimes tip-toed around the other demon with cautiousness. The other angels seemed to treat him with a certain level of respect too - except for Oikawa.

“OK,” he muttered, and the demon finally glanced at him again, blue eyes piercing. “Maybe I… overreacted a little.”

“It’s OK, Shouyou!” Bokuto leaned over and ruffled Shouyou’s hair affectionately, completely ignoring the way Kageyama’s wings stiffened. Bokuto really was just like his older teammates on the court, and the comparison helped to ease the twisted feeling in Shouyou’s stomach. “I would have been the same if I was as small a human as you are!”

Shouyou felt himself deflate a little, teetering just on the outside of irritation. He’d heard enough comments about his height today.

Kageyama seemed to sense that, and raised his wings a little higher. “Oi -”

“Not that that’s a bad thing!” Bokuto stepped back, face serious, and Shouyou shivered a little under the weight of his gaze. “I bet you’d be really good at flying.” His yellow eyes sized the red-head up, as though he was calculating exactly what he’d look like with feathers.

 _"Well, I'll be sure to teach you if you ever grow a pair of wings!"_  The memory echoed through his head, and Shouyou felt himself straighten.

“He already knows how to fly.” Kageyama sounded tired, but when Shouyou glanced at him, his eyes were full of fire. He received a faint impression of how Kageyama saw him - mostly bright and fast and _orange_ \- before the demon stifled the stray thought.

Shouyou didn’t have to impress anyone here.

He flashed Kageyama a smile, and his mark sparked excitedly as the door behind them slid open.

“Hinata - Daichi wants you back inside!” Tanaka grinned, unknowing of his audience. “We need those crazy jump-spikes of yours back on the court!”

He could hear Bokuto’s excited hoots from behind him as he stepped back inside. “Oh, now this I _have_ to see.”

* * *

Hinata was brighter when he came back inside the gymnasium - that was the only way Kei could describe the change in him. His stride was stronger, like he was more sure of himself. And he was glowing - almost. (Well, the small smudge of a mark on his hand was, whatever that meant.)

Kei could still make out the uneasy tremor that rippled through the determined set of Hinata’s shoulders as he stepped onto the court, but it was muffled, and he doubted anyone else would notice. The red-head seemed to have put the new demon into the back of his mind - a surprisingly practical choice for someone so prone to idiocy.

The captain clapped Hinata on the back - a motion treading the fine line between encouragement and warning - but he didn’t shirk from the touch. If anything, Hinata straightened.

Things went a lot more smoothly after that.

Kei could see the point at which Hinata moved past being a novelty and became a genuine threat to the other team. Most of his spikes were blocked by taller players - so tall that even Kei had to admit he would have struggled to evade them without feinting - but the ones that slipped through had them fumbling.

The red-head had a natural speed and jumping ability that left most others feeling envious. Kei himself was not, simply because he utterly outranked Hinata in height, skills and overall coordination between his limbs.

Besides, the more their opposing team focused on Hinata, the easier it became for everyone else to score points.

Just as the other team’s frustration was beginning to emanate clearly from their disgruntled movements, Kei heard the startled intake of breath that Hinata took.

Rather that let his eyes drift to the red-head like they wanted to - and not out of _concern_ either - Kei’s gaze settled on the person that he’d been keeping an eye on since the very beginning of the first match. The boy from outside.

The setter.

He was unremarkable enough in terms of appearance that Kei would have dismissed him almost immediately if not for two things: the purposeful tenacity in each of his sets, and the demon that was undoubtedly contracted to him.

One was ultimately more problematic than the other. Although, in the middle of a match, Kei couldn’t have picked between them.

Hinata’s brief gasp made all the more sense when he saw the setter close his eyes and stumble - just slightly, Kei was sure no one else had scrutinised him enough to notice - and breathe deeply before opening his eyes again.

Even Kei had to hold back the instinctive recoil from the feral look he found there.

He could feel Hinata’s pointed stare boring holes into the side of his head, and shot him an irritated glance to let him know that, _yes_ , he had _noticed_. Even without being able to see the demon directly, Kei knew how to recognise demonic possession. He and Yamaguchi took advantage of it often enough.

They rarely did so _on the court_ , however, not unless they didn’t have a choice. Possession took its toll, and Kei knew his own limits well enough.

The other team’s entire style of play changed. They went from smooth, coordinated connections between players to violent and impulsive attacks that missed as many times as they broke through Kei’s block.

Of course, that was only for a the first few minutes. The other players soon adapted to the new style of the sets, spiking over the net with triumphant grins on their faces. When the setter himself shot Kei a sly smile, he had to wonder how often they’d taken advantage of the change in style.

“But that’s… they’re almost _cheating_ ,” Hinata muttered under his breath after another failed dig, and Kei was tempted to agree with him.

He had never seen possession used so trivially - so _efficiently_.

The match was a close one - they only won thanks to Hinata making an awkwardly precise hit over the net at the last moment, something the other side couldn’t predict. The entire team was subdued in their victory, however, as It had made their desperate need for better defensive strategy glaringly obvious.

As he was preparing to help clear up the court, Kei felt someone move to approach him. He knew who it was - as much by the odd presence that followed them as Hinata’s too-obvious flinch from next to him.

“That was some impressive blocking.” The brown-haired setter’s eyes still held the same, wild look, but it was much more subdued. “I’m Shigeru Yahaba.”

Kei stared back blankly, refusing to acknowledge the other boy’s assessing gaze. “Tsukishima.”

Yahaba offered Kei’s following silence a predatory smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes. “We should meet up later. Y’know, compare strategies. I think we could learn a lot from one another.” There was a rough edge to his words that left Kei wondering _which_ one of them - human or demon - he was actually talking to. The fact that he couldn’t tell left a creeping sensation crawling up his spine.

Kei shrugged in response. He was curious, sure - he’d never met another person with a demon before (excluding Hinata, who didn’t really count for a number of reasons). They probably _could_ share information with one another.

But, if his time with Yamaguchi had taught him anything, it was that it was wise to be cautious around demons.

Kei made sure his face stayed as blank as possible. “I doubt I’ll learn anything new.”

Yahaba didn’t seem at all deterred. If anything, his grin widened - right before it faltered and he whipped his head round to face Hinata instead.

“Gyah!” The red-head let out an embarrassing squawk and held his hands up defensively as the other boy’s nose twitched.

Yahaba’s brow creased, but his expression was more confused than threatening. “What -” he growled, wincing suddenly as his hand moved up to cover his nose. “You smell _terrible_.” The setter leaned as far away as far as he could without taking a step backwards.

Hinata’s facial expression flickered between afraid and offended before it settled on the latter. “Well, you don’t exactly smell like a bunch of roses yourself!”

The red-head puffed himself up so much that Kei rolled his eyes. _Typical_.

Yahaba paused for a beat, hand falling from his face. “Oh!” His head tilted to one side as he considered the red-head. “I didn’t realise there were _two_ of you.” He cleared his throat. “Middle Blockers, I mean.”

Well, that was _interesting_. Kei said nothing, but considered what information Yahaba’s demon must be communicating with him. Hinata would throw anyone off - his mark was little more than a blurred smudge most of the time, and he didn’t carry the presence of someone with a demon. It didn’t surprise Kei that he’d been overlooked.

The red-head in question, on the other hand, didn’t even get to start whatever words were about to leave his open mouth, because Daichi called out a reminder of the work they had _yet to start_.

“I guess there’s a better place for this conversation.” Yahaba straightened, blinking and finally letting his gaze trail away from Hinata long enough for his eyes to flicker between them. “I’ll come find you later, Tsukishima, and… ?”

“Hinata!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yahaba is quite a tricky character for me to get a handle on, but I think the dynamic between him and Kyouken will be an interesting one to write!
> 
> Krissei suggested that I write something Halloween-themed for October, and we have a few ideas for a _deal_ one-shot chapter (which I'll post separately but under the series tag). If anyone has any requests I'd love to hear them!

**Author's Note:**

> I spent so long asking myself why Hinata would summon a demon, and this is what I ended up with. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Even one word comments make my day.
> 
> Updates every two weeks (or less).
> 
> Also, if anyone wants to talk about any of my fics or just generally chat, you can catch me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/wolveshvnokings)! I post on there whenever a new chapter is out. [Tumblr](http://dragonshuntaswolves.tumblr.com/) too!


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